Method for sorting antifungal molecules acting on the glucanosyltransferase activity

ABSTRACT

The invention discloses proteins having β(1-3)glucanosyltransferase type activities. These proteins can be used for detecting the antifungal activity of molecules.

This application claims the benefit of Ser. No. 60/024,910, filed Aug. 30, 1996.

This invention relates to a protein with an activity of the glucanosyltransferase type, and more especially a β-(1-3)-glucanosyltransferase activity.

This invention also relates to oligonucleotides coding for this protein having an enzymatic activity.

It also relates to molecules having an effect on the activity of this enzyme.

Opportunistic fungal infections due to Candida, Aspergillus, Cryptococcus and Pneumocystis are responsible for the increase in morbidity and mortality among patients suffering from AIDS and other patients with clinically compromised immunity. In addition, the yeast Candida and the dermatophytes today remain a major medical problem amongst patients with adequate immunity, Despite the increase in the number of infections due to pathogenic and opportunistic fungi, therapy against mycoses has not improved in recent years. Two families of drugs are used: the azoles and Amphotericin B. These drugs have some disadvantages since treatment based on Amphotericin B is associated with nephrotoxicity and that based on azole is more fungistatic than fungicidal.

Fungi are microorganisms of the eukaryotic type which share the majority of their biochemical pathways with their hosts, with one important exception: the biosynthesis of the cell wall. The cell wall is a rigid envelope which protects the cell against the environment and mechanical stresses, but is also a dynamic structure which is involved in the transport of ions and macromolecules and in the localization of enzymes involved in fungal growth. In consequence, disorganization of the organization of the cell wall should be detrimental to fungi.

The skeleton of the fungal cell wall is mainly composed of polymers of the polysaccharide type (β(1-3) glucans, mannans, chitin) which are not found in humans. For this reason, the biosynthesis of the cell wall has been a target for research into new antifungal drugs. The penicillins and cephalosporins, which are both inhibitors of the bacterial cell wall, and potential antibiotics lend support to this hypothesis. Moreover, many molecules which inhibit the development of the fungal cell wall have antifungal properties (Debono and Gordee, 1994, Annu. Rev. Microbiol, 48, 471-497). Among these are:

1) The families of the echinocandin lipopeptides and the palulacandin glycopeptides which are non-competitive inhibitors of the glucan synthetase complex.

2) The polyoxins and nikkomycins which are analogs of UDP-GlcNac and potential competitive inhibitors of chitin synthetase, and

3) The pradimycins binding mannan and the benanomycins.

The synthesis of β(1-3) glucan and chitin is under the control of enzyme complexes (glucan synthetase and chitin synthetase) which are localized in the plasma membrane. Once the polymers have been released into the periplasmic space, cross-links are created between the polymers and it is these which are responsible for the rigidity of the cell wall. The proteins and genes of the glucan and chitin synthetases are beginning to be fairly well understood.

However, the inhibition of the glucan and chitin synthetases by a molecule requires three steps: its transfer across the cell wall, crossing of the plasma membrane and transfer inside the cell to the target, each step representing a potential barrier for the enzymatic inhibitor from being an effective antifungal drug, or a potential source of resistant strains against the drug.

The transferases which are responsible for creating the covalent bonds between the different polymers of the wall have been very little studied up till now.

These enzymes represent a better target than the chitin and glucan synthetase complexes since they are more easily accessible for a putative antifungal drug.

Nuoffer et al. (1991, Mol. Cell. Bio., 11, 27-37) have described a glycoprotein, named Gas1p, exposed on the surface of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The genes coding for this protein have been cloned. The function of the Gas1p protein is not essential for the viability of the cell, and has not been determined.

Saporito-Irwing et al. (1995, Mol. Cell. Biol., 15, 601-613) have isolated a gene originating from the yeast Candida albicans, designated PHR1. The amino acid sequence determined for this protein PHR1 was 56% identical to that of the protein Gas1.

The gene was regulated in response to the pH of the culture medium. As for the protein gas1p, no function has been determined.

It clearly emerges from this analysis of the prior art that there has been a problem in obtaining molecules with effective antifungal activity.

The inventors have solved this problem.

They have shown that the introduction of mutations into a glucanosyltransferase originating from Aspergillus fumigatus interferes with the development of this micro-organism.

They have also determined the sequences of several of these enzymes.

The present invention thus relates to a first protein with an activity of the β-(1-3)-glucanosyltransferase type characterized in that it has at least 50%, preferably 60%, and even more preferably 85% homology with proteins having the sequences, or a part of the sequences SEQ ID No 2 or SEQ ID No 3 as follows:

SEQ ID NO:2:

Met Lys Ala Ser Ala Val Thr Ala Ala Leu Ala Val Gly Ala Ser Thr Val Leu Ala Ala Pro Ser Ile Lys Ala Arg Asp Asp Val Thr Pro Ile Thr Val Lys Gly Asn Ala Phe Phe Lys Gly Asp Glu Arg Phe Tyr Ile Arg Gly Val Asp Tyr Gln Pro Gly Gly Ser Ser Asp Leu Ala Asp Pro Ile Ala Asp Ala Asp Gly Cys Lys Arg Asp Ile Ala Lys Phe Lys Glu Leu Gly Leu Asn Thr Ile Arg Val Tyr Ser Val Asp Asn Ser Lys Asn His Asp Glu Cys Met Asn Thr Leu Ala Asp Ala Gly Ile Tyr Leu Val Leu Asp Val Asn Thr Pro Lys Tyr Ser Ile Asn Arg Ala Lys Pro Lys Glu Ser Tyr Asn Asp Val Tyr Leu Gln Tyr Ile Phe Ala Thr Val Asp Ala Phe Ala Gly Tyr Lys Asn Thr Leu Ala Phe Phe Ser Gly Asn Glu Val Ile Asn Asp Gly Pro Ser Ser Ser Ala Ala Pro Tyr Val Lys Ala Val Thr Arg Asp Leu Arg Gln Tyr Ile Arg Ser Arg Lys Tyr Arg Glu Ile Pro Val Gly Tyr Ser Ala Ala Asp Ile Asp Thr Asn Arg Leu Gln Met Ala Gln Tyr Met Asn Cys Gly Ser Asp Asp Glu Arg Ser Asp Phe Phe Ala Phe Asn Asp Tyr Ser Trp Cys Asp Pro Ser Ser Phe Lys Thr Ser Gly Trp Asp Gln Lys Val Lys Asn Phe Thr Gly Tyr Gly Leu Pro Leu Phe Leu Ser Glu Tyr Gly Cys Asn Thr Asn Lys Arg Gin Phe Gln Glu Val Ser Scr Leu Tyr Ser Thr Asp Met Thr Gly Val Tyr Ser Gly Gly Leu Val Tyr Glu Tyr Ser Gln Glu Ala Ser Asn Tyr Gly Leu Val Glu Ile Ser Gly Asn Asn Val Lys Glu Leu Pro Asp Phe Asp Ala Leu Lys Thr Ala Phe Glu Lys Thr Ser Asn Pro Ser Gly Asp Gly Asn Tyr Asn Lys Thr Gly Gly Ala Asn Pro Cys Pro Ala Lys Asp Ala Pro Asn Trp Asp Val Asp Asn Asp Ala Leu Pro Ala Ile Pro Glu Pro Ala Lys Lys Tyr Met Thr Glu Gly Ala Gly Lys Gly Pro Gly Phe Ala Gly Pro Gly Ser Gln Asp Arg Gly Thr Gln Ser Thr Ala Thr Ala Glu Pro Gly Ser Gly Ser Ala Thr Gly Ser Ser Ser Ser Gly Thr Ser Thr Ser Ser Lys Gly Ala Ala Ala Gly Leu Thr Val Pro Ser Leu Thr Met Ala Pro Val Val Val Gly Ala Val Thr Leu Leu Ser Thr Val Phe Gly Ala Gly Leu Val Leu Leu

SEQ ID NO: 3: (BGT2)

Asp Asp Val Thr Pro Ile Thr Val Lys Gly Asn Ala Phe Phe Lys Gly Asp Glu Arg Phe Tyr Ile Arg Gly Val Asp Tyr Gln Pro Gly Gly Ser Ser Asp Leu Ala Asp Pro Ile Ala Asp Ala Asp Gly Cys Lys Arg Asp Ile Ala Lys Phe Lys Glu Leu Gly Leu Asn Thr Ile Arg Val Tyr Ser Val Asp Asn Ser Lys Asn His Asp Glu Cys Met Asn Thr Leu Ala Asp Ala Gly Ile Tyr Leu Val Leu Asp Val Asn Thr Pro Lys Tyr Ser Ile Asn Arg Ala Lys Pro Lys Glu Ser Tyr Asn Asp Val Tyr Leu Gln Tyr Ile Phe Ala Thr Val Asp Ala Phe Ala Gly Tyr Lys Asn Thr Leu Ala Phe Phe Ser Gly Asn Glu Val Ile Asn Asp Gly Pro Ser Ser Ser Ala Ala Pro Tyr Val Lys Ala Val Thr Arg Asp Leu Arg Gln Tyr Ile Arg Ser Arg Lys Tyr Arg Glu Ile Pro Val Gly Tyr Ser Ala Ala Asp Ile Asp Thr Asn Arg Leu Gin Met Ala Gln Tyr Met Asn Cys Gly Ser Asp Asp Glu Arg Ser Asp Phe Phe Ala Phe Asn Asp Tyr Ser Trp Cys Asp Pro Ser Ser Phe Lys Thr Ser Gly Trp Asp Gln Lys Val Lys Asn Phe Thr Gly Tyr Gly Leu Pro Leu Phe Leu Ser Glu Tyr Gly Cys Asn Thr Asn Lys Arg Gln Phe Gin Glu Val Ser Ser Leu Tyr Ser Thr Asp Met Thr Gly Val Tyr Ser Gly Gly Leu Val Tyr Glu Tyr Ser Gln Glu Ala Ser Asn Tyr Gly Leu Val Glu Ile Ser Gly Asn Asn Val Lys Glu Leu Pro Asp Phe Asp Ala Leu Lys Thr Ala Phe Glu Lys Thr Ser Asn Pro Ser Gly Asp Gly Asn Tyr Asn Lys Thr Gly Gly Ala Asn Pro Cys Pro Ala Lys Asp Ala Pro Asn Trp Asp Val Asp Asn Asp Ala Leu Pro Ala Ile Pro Glu Pro Ala Lys Lys Tyr Met Thr Glu Gly Ala Gly Lys Gly Pro Gly Phe Ala Gly Pro Gly Ser Gln Asp Arg Gly Thr Gln Ser Thr Ala Thr Ala Glu Pro Gly Ser Gly Ser Ala Thr Gly Ser Ser Ser Ser Gly Thr Ser Thr Ser Ser Lys Gly Ala Ala Ala Gly Leu Thr Val Pro Ser Leu Thr Met Ala Pro Val Val Val Gly Ala Val Thr Leu Leu Ser Thr Val Phe Gly Ala Gly Leu Val Leu Leu

This protein preferably has a molecular weight of about 44 kD, or of about 49 kD if it carries at least one residue of the N-glycosyl type.

The present invention also relates to proteins with β-(1-3)-glucanosyltransferase activity characterized in that they have at least 50%, preferably 60% and even more preferably 85% homology with proteins having the sequences, or a part of the sequences SEQ ID No 10 or SEQ ID No 12 as follows:

SEQ ID No 10:

Gly Phe Phe Ala Gly Asn Glu Val Ile Asn Glu Gln Ser Val Lys Asn Val Pro Thr Tyr Val Arg Val Cys His Pro Ser Pro Gln Leu Thr Ile Ala Cys Pro Leu

SEQ ID No 12 (BGT4)

Gly Phe Phe Ala Gly Asn Glu Val Val Asn Gln Ala Asn Gln Ser Ala Gly Ala Ala Phe Val Lys Ala Ala Ala Arg Asp Met Lys Ala Tyr Ile Lys Thr Lys Gly Tyr Arg Gln Ser Leu Ala Ile Gly Tyr Ala Thr Thr Asp Asn Pro Glu Ile Arg Leu Pro Leu Ser Asp Tyr Leu Asn Cys Gly Asp Gln Ala Asp Ala Val Asp Phe Phe Gly Tyr Asn Ile Tyr Glu Trp Cys Gly Asp Gln Thr Phe Gln Thr Ser Gly Tyr Gln Asn Arg Thr Glu Glu Tyr Lys Asp Tyr Ser Ile Pro Ile Phe Ile Ser Glu Tyr Gly Cys Asn

The present invention also relates to fragments of these proteins.

Said invention is not limited to the proteins having the sequences SEQ ID No 2, SEQ ID No 3, SEQ ID No 10 or SEQ ID No 12 but extends to any protein having sequences similar to those having the sequences SEQ ID No 2, SEQ ID No 3, SEQ ID No 10 or SEQ ID No 12 and in particular having certain amino acid substitutions in which an amino acid is replaced by another amino acid having essentially the same physico-chemical properties. Lehninger's biochemistry manual (Flammarion Medecine-Science, 1977, or one of its more recent editions) distinguishes four groups of amino acids, based on their physico-chemical behavior: those with a non-polar or hydrophobic side-chain, those with an uncharged polar side-chain, those with a negatively charged side-chain, and those with a positively charged side-chain.

The present invention also relates to nucleotide sequences coding for proteins, or protein fragments such as those described above, and more particularly DNA sequences (cDNA or genomic DNA) or RNA sequences.

Such a DNA sequence may be that having at least 50%, preferably 60% and even more preferably 85% homology with the genomic sequence SEQ ID No 1, or a part of the sequence SEQ ID No 1 as follows:

ATG AAG GCC TCT GCT GTT ACT GCC GCT CTC GCC GTC GGT GCT TCC ACC GTT CTG GCA GCC CCC TCC ATC AAG GCT CGT GAC GAC GTT ACT CCC ATC ACT GTC AAG GGC AAT GCC TTC TTC AAG GGC GAT GAG CGT TTC TAT ATT CGC GGT GTC GAC TAC CAG CCC GGT GGC TCC TCC GAC CTG GCT GAT CCC ATC GCT GAT GCC GAT GGT TGC AAG CGT GAC ATT GCC AAG TTC AAG GAG CTG GGC CTG AAC ACT ATC CGT GTC TAC TCG GTC GAC AAC TCC AAG AAC CAC GAT GAG TGT ATG AAT ACA CTG GCT GAT GCT GGC ATC TAT CTG GTG CTC GAT GTC AAC ACT CCC AAG TAC TCC ATC AAC CGC GCC AAG CCT AAG GAG TCG TAC AAC GAT GTC TAC CTC CAG TAT ATC TTC GCT ACC GTT GAT GCT TTC GCC GGT TAC AAG AAC ACC CTC GCT TTC TTC TCC GGC AAC GAG GTT ATC AAC GAT GGC CCT TCC TCC TCT GCT GCT CCC TAC GTC AAG GCC GTC ACT CGT GAT CTG CGT CAG TAC ATC CGT AGC CGC AAG TAC CGT GAG ATT CCT GTC GGC TAC TCG GCT GCC GAT ATC GAC ACC AAC CGT CTT CAG ATG GCC CAG TAT ATG AAC TGC GGT TCC GAC GAC GAG CGC AGT GAC TTC TTC GCT TTC AAC GAC TAC TCC TGG TGC GAT CCC TCC TCT TTC AAA ACC TCG GGC TGG GAT CAG AAG GTC AAG AAC TTC ACT GGC TAC GGT CTT CCT CTC TTC CTG TCC GAA TAC GGC TGC AAC ACC AAC AAG CGT CAA TTC CAA GAA GTC AGC TCT CTC TAC TCC ACG GAC ATG ACT GGT GTC TAC TCT GGT GGT CTC GTG TAC GAG TAC TCT CAG GAG GCC AGC AAC TAC GGT CTG GTG GAG ATT AGC GGC AAC AAT GTC AAG GAG CTC CCA GAC TTC GAC GCT CTG AAG ACC GCG TTC GAA AAG ACC TCC AAC CCC TCC GGC GAC GGC AAC TAC AAC AAG ACT GGT GGT GCC AAC CCT TGC CCC GCT AAG GAC GCT CCC AAC TGG GAC GTT GAC AAC GAT GCT CTT CCT GCC ATC CCC GAG CCC GCC AAG AAG TAC ATG ACT GAG GGT GCT GGC AAG GGC CCT GGT TTT GCC GGA CCT GGC AGC CAG GAC CGT GGT ACC CAG TCC ACT GCC ACT GCT GAG CCC GGA TCT GGC TCT GCC ACT GGA AGC AGC AGC AGC GGC ACC TCC ACC TCT TCC AAG GGC GCT GCA GCT GGC CTG ACT GTC CCT AGC CTG ACC ATG GCT CCC GTT GTC GTT GGT GCG GTT ACA CTC CTG TCC ACC GTC TTC GGC GCT GGC CTC GTC CTC TTG T GA

This sequence has been included in a 2.2 kb fragment, which has itself been included in the X bal site of the pUC19 vector (Maniatis et al., 1989, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratories Press). The strain E. coli DH₅α carrying this modified vector was deposited in the Collection Nationale de Culture de Micro-Organismes at the Institut Pasteur (CNCM) on the Jul. 26, 1996 under the number I-1763.

Such a sequence may also be that having at least 50%, preferably 60% and even more preferably 85% homology with the complementary DNA sequence comprised in a 1.4 kb fragment, which has been included in the pCRII vector (In Vitrogen). This, carried by the E. coli DH₅α strain, was deposited in the Collection Nationale de Culture de Micro-Organismes at the Institut Pasteur (CNCM) on the Jul. 26, 1996 under the number I-1762.

These two strains are objects of the present invention.

Nucleotide sequences according to the present invention may also be those having at least 50%, preferably 60%, and even more preferably 85% homology with one of the DNA sequences SEQ ID No 9 or SEQ ID No 11 as follows:

SEQ ID No 9:

GGCTTCTTCG CCGGCAACGA GGTTATCAAC GAGCAGAGTG TCAAGAACGT TCCCACTFAC GTCCGGGTAT GTCATCCATC CCCACAGCTT ACGATTGCCT GTCCACTGAC ACTCTCGTAG GCGACTCAGC GTGACATGAA GGACTACTAC GCAAAGAACC TTGACCGCAG CATTCCTGTT GGCTATTCTG CTGCCGATAT TCGTCCCATC CTCATGGCAC CCCTCAACTA CTTCATGTGC GCTGACGATG CTAATTCCCA ATCGGACTTC TTCGGCCTCA ACTCCTACTC GTGGTGCGGC AACTCGTCCT ACACCAAGAG TGGCTACGAT GTCCTCACCA AGGACTTTGC CGACGCCTCT ATCCCCGTCT TCATCTCCGA ATTCGGCTGC AACA

SEQ ID No 11

GGTTTCTTCG CCGGCAACGA GGTTGTGAAT CAGGCGAATC AGTCCGCCGG CGCTGCATTC GTCAAGGCCG CCGCGCGAGA CATGAAGGCC TACATCAAGA CCAAGGGATA CCGGCAATCG CTGGCAATTG GATACGCGAC CACTGACAAC CCGGAAATCC GACTCCCGCT GTCCGACTAC CTCAACTGCG GCGACCAGGC CGACGCGGTC GACTTCTTCG GCTACAACAT CTACGAATGG TGCGGTGACA AGACCTTCCA GACCTCGGGC TACCAGAACC GCACCGAGGA GTACAAGGAC TACTCCATCC CCATCTTCAT CTCCGAATAC GGCTGCAAC

These two sequences have been independently included in the pCRII vectors and introduced into the E. coli DH₅α strain. These strains were deposited in the Collection Nationale de Culture de Micro-Organismes at the Institut Pasteur (CNCM) on the Aug. 22, 1997 under the numbers I-1914 and I-1913.

A further object of the present invention is a method for the detection of proteins with a strong homology with the sequence of the protein BGT2.

The present invention thus relates to a method for detecting a nucleotide sequence having at least 60% identity with the sequence SEQ ID No 1 in a biological sample containing nucleotide sequences, comprising the following steps:

a) placing the biological sample in contact with the nucleotide primers P3 and P4 having the sequences SEQ ID No 7 and SEQ ID No 8, respectively, as follows:

SEQ ID No 7:

GSYTTCTTCK CYGGCAACGA GGTT

SEQ ID No 8:

GTTGCAGCCG WATTCGGASA YGAA

 the nucleotide sequences contained in the sample having been if necessary put into a form enabling their hybridization under conditions enabling the hybridization of the primers with the nucleotide sequences.

b) amplification of the nucleotide sequences

c) revealing the amplification products, and

d) detection of the mutations by appropriate methods.

The proteins according to the invention may be obtained by purification of an autolysate of Aspergillus fumigatus. The protein may be purified by four steps of ion-exchange chromatography and one step of gel filtration.

Said proteins may also be obtained by genetic engineering methods. For example, the sequence SEQ ID No 1, if possible without its C-terminal part, may be cloned in an appropriate vector, and expressed in an expression system, such as the Pichia pastoris system, marketed by In Vitrogen.

In this system, the sequence of the gene coding for the protein is cloned in an expression vector, then linearized. Protoplasts originating from P. pastoris are transformed with the linearized vector.

The clones, in which a recombination is performed and which replaces the aoxl sequence by the sequence of the gene of the protein which it is desired to produce, are selected for their capacity to grow in a histidine-deficient medium. A person skilled in the art may refer to “Manual of methods for expression of recombinant proteins in Pichia pastoris”, published by In Vitrogen.

The protein thus expressed, if possible secreted in the culture medium, is recovered by processes known to a person skilled in the art.

Such a protein may be used, in particular, for screening molecules to identify their antifungal activity.

Thus, another object of the present invention is a process for screening molecules to identify their antifungal activity comprising the following steps:

placing together the molecules to be screened and the protein or the protein fragment as described above, or coded by a sequence such as described above, and

determining the effect of the molecule on said protein.

The determination of the effect of the molecules on said protein may be accomplished by measuring the activity of the β-(1-3) glucanosyltransferase (BGT2). Such activity may be determined by placing said protein in the presence of a substrate on which it has an effect, which may be composed of laminarioligosaccharides comprising at least 10 glucosyl radicals linked by β-(1-3) bonds. When the protein is active, it cleaves a part of the molecule and binds the fragment obtained onto the non-reducing terminal of an uncleaved substrate molecule.

The product resulting from the activity of the protein is in the form of coupling products of two laminarioligosaccharides. This product may be detected by any process allowing the separation of oligosaccharides with different degrees of polymerization, in particular by chromatographic methods, such as high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) or thin-layer chromatography (TLC). This latter method, although less precise than the first, is the easier to use.

For the use of these chromatographic methods, a person skilled in the art may consult the following manual: Carbohydrate analysis : a practical approach. Chaplin and Kennedy, 1986 IRC Press, Oxford.

This detection method enables determination as to whether the molecules detected have antifungal activity.

These molecules having antifungal activity show effects on the β-(1-3)glucanosyltransferase activity of said proteins. These effects may be for example the inhibition of this activity.

The present invention also relates to molecules having an effect on said proteins, which may be detected by the process as described above, as well as the use of these molecules to prepare a drug, or for the treatment of diseases related to fungi, in vertebrates and plants.

One of the advantages of the use of these molecules lies in the low frequency of appearance of resistant strains of the fungi, in contrast to other known antifungal molecules.

The present invention is illustrated, without being limited, by the following examples:

FIG. 1 illustrates an analysis of the SDS-PAGE type of the purified 49 kDa protein: line a, molecular weight standards; line b, purified 49 kDa protein (1.5 μg); line c, purified 49 kDa protein (1.5 μg) after treatment with N-glycosidase F; line d, N-glycosidase alone. The molecular weights of the protein bands and N-glycosidase F are shown.

FIG. 2 represents an HPAEC-type analysis of the products arising from the incubation of the 49 kDa enzyme with the reduced laminarioligosaccharides. The purified 49 kDa protein was incubated with 8 mM of reduced laminarioligosaccharides of size G₁₁, G₁₂, G₁₃ or G₁₄ (reduced laminarioligosaccharides with 11, 12, 13 or 14 glucose residues respectively) and the HPAEC profiles arising from these samples are shown at time zero and 15 min with the sizes of the main products.

FIG. 3 represents an HPAEC-type analysis of the products arising from the incubation of the 49 kDa enzyme with 8 mM of rG₁₆. The HPAEC profiles arising from these samples are shown at time zero, 30 min and 120 min, with the sizes of the main products.

FIG. 4 illustrates the action of the transferase and the products formed from the reduced laminarioligosaccharides.

FIG. 5 shows the effect of varying concentrations of the substrates. The 49 kDa transferase was incubated with 3 μM of [³H]-rG₁₁ (1×10⁶ cpm) plus varying quantities of unmarked rG₁₁. The % of transfer was determined by comparing the proportion of marking formed in the form of rG₆ and rG₁₆. The inset shows the same data with the concentration of the substrates presented in the form of a linear scale.

FIG. 6 illustrates the effect of pH on the transfer rate. The 49 kDa transferase was incubated with 8 μM of [³H]-rG₁₁ (1×10⁶ cpm). The reaction rates were determined by measuring the quantity of marking formed in the form of the product rG₁₆. The buffers used were: , sodium citrate/citric acid; o, imidazole/citric acid; x, sodium acetate/acetic acid; ▪, Tris/glycine; ▾, phosphate/NaOH; □, Tris/acetic acid; Δ, glycine/HCl.

FIG. 7 shows the sequence originating from the gene BGT2 from A. fumigatus (A) compared with genes PHR1 and GAS1 isolated from C. albicans (C) and S. cerevisiae (S). The underlined amino acid sequence corresponds to the presumed intron.

FIG. 8 shows the growth rate of mutant 49 compared to that of the wild strain. Where a pH value is stated, the culture was performed at controlled pH (4 or 7).

FIG. 9 illustrates the growth of the wild strain and that of the mutant Δ49 and the variation of the pH of the culture medium during the growth of the two strains.

FIG. 10 is a comparison of the sequences of the protein with sequence SEQ ID No 2 and the five following proteins: Phr 1p, Gas 2p, Gas 3p, Gas 4p and Gas 5p.

FIGS. 11 and 12 are restriction maps of the sequences of the genes homologous with the BGT2 gene, named BGT4 and BGT3 respectively.

EXAMPLES Experimental Procedures

1. Preparation of the Cell Wall and Autolysis.

The strain CBS 144-89 of type A. fumigatus (available from the Collection Centralbureau voor Schimmelculture) was grown in a 15 L fermenter in 2% glucose, 1% mycopeptone (Biokar Diagnostics) plus 0.1% silicone antifungal 426R (Rhodorsil) at 25° C. (agitation at 500 r.p.m., aeration 0.5 vol.vol⁻¹. min⁻¹. for 42 h). A culture which had grown for 3 days in a 2L fermenter under the same conditions was used as the inoculum (8%(v/v)). The mycelia were collected by filtration under vacuum and ruptured by passing through a Dyno type mixer in the presence of glass beads (W. A. Bachofen AG, Basel, Switzerland) (0.5-0.75 mm diameter). The progression of the disruption of the cells was monitored microscopically. The suspension of the ruptured mycelia was centrifuged (8000 g, 15 min) and the residue containing the cell walls was washed 3 times with water and once with 50 mM Na acetate, pH 5.6 containing 5 mM Na azide, then resuspended in the same buffer (250 g wet weight per L of buffer) and incubated (agitation 200 r.p.m.) at 37° C. After 72 h, the suspension was centrifuged (10000 g, 15 min) and the supernatant was placed in a dialysis tube, concentrated 5 to 10 times with polyethylene glycol 20000, dialyzed against 5 mM Na acetate, pH 5.6, recentrifuged (10000 g, 15 min) and filtered (0.45 μm filter). This preparation is subsequently referred to as the autolysate.

2. Enzyme Purification

The fractions collected during each step of the chromatography were tested for enzymatic activity using the non-radioactive transferase test (see below). The dialyzed and concentrated autolysate was applied to a 4×18 cm DEAE-SEPHAROSE FAST-FLOW column (Pharmacia) equilibrated with 5 mM Na acetate, pH 5.6, and the column was eluted with a linear gradient up to 1M NaCl (2000 ml) at a flow rate of 240 ml.hr⁻¹. The fractions containing transferase activity were collected, dialyzed against a buffer containing 10 mM β-mercaptoethanol, 5 mM EDTA, 10 mM Na acetate, pH 4.0, applied to a MONO S column (HR 5/5 Pharmacia), and eluted with a linear gradient of NaCl (0 to 300 mM in 40 min) at a flow rate of 0.8 ml.min⁻¹. The fraction containing transferase was collected, dialyzed against 10 mM Tris/HCl, pH 7.0, and applied to a DEAE-5PW column (8×75 mm, TosoHaas), and eluted with a linear gradient up to NaCl (0 to 300 mM in 60 min) with a flow rate of 0.75 ml.min⁻¹. The fractions containing transferase activity were collected, dialyzed against a buffer containing 10 mM β-mercaptoethanol, 5 mM EDTA 10 mM EDTA, 10 mM Na acetate, pH 4.0, and applied to a CM-5PW column (8×75 mm, TosoHaas), and eluted with a linear gradient of NaCl (0 to 300 mM in 60 min) with a flow rate of 0.8 ml.min⁻¹. The fractions containing transferase activity were collected and concentrated by a speed-vac and fractionated on a SUPERDEX HR75 column (Pharmacia) equilibrated with 10 mM Tri/HCl, pH 7.0 containing 150 mM NaCl, at a flow rate of 0.75 ml.min⁻¹. The fractions containing purified transferase were collected, dialyzed against 5 mM Na citrate, pH 5.0, concentrated by speed-vac and stored at −20° C. until used.

3. Transferase Assays

The enzyme fractions were assayed for transferase activity by incubation in 50 mM Na citrate, pH 5.0 at 37° C. (10 μl volume per assay) with a laminarioligosaccharides reduced with borohydride (8 mM final) of at least size G₁₀. Samples (3 μl) were taken at different times, 50 mM NaOH cooled in ice (47 μl) was added to terminate the reaction, and the mixture was frozen until analyzed by high-performance anion-exchange chromatography (HPAEC). Since the peak intensities detected by Pulsed Electrochemical Detector (PED) varied from day to day, the transferase activity was quantified by use of reduced laminarioligosaccharides marked with ³H as substrates and measurement of the appearance of the marking in the products after separation by HPAEC chromatography, using the on-line Radiomatic 150TR scintillation rate analysis apparatus (Packard).

Except where otherwise mentioned, the assays for the enzyme characterization studies were performed as above with 0.25 μg of purified transferase.

4. Colorimetric Determinations

The β-glucanase activity was measured in the protein fractions by a sugar reduction test using the reagent hydroxybenzoic acid hydrazide with laminarin reduced by borohydride instead of carboxymethyl pachyman as substrate (Ram et al., 1988, Life Sci Adv., 7, 379-383). The exo-β-glucanase/β-glucosidase activities were measured by incubating the enzyme fractions with p-nitrophenyl-β-D-glucopyranoside (Hartland et al., 1991, Proc. R. Soc. London B, 246, 155-160). The quantity of the proteins was estimated using the Biorad protein test according to the manufacturer's instructions, with bovine serum albumin as standard.

5. High-performance Anion-exchange Chromatography

The samples from the transferase tests were analyzed on a Dionex CARBOPAC PA1 analytical column (4×250 mm) (with a Pal reference column) on a Dionex HPAEC-type system with pulsed electrochemical detection (PED-2 cell), fitted with a combination of pH-Ag/AgCl reference electrodes and using a potential of 0.4 V for the first 0.5 s of detection. The oligosaccharides were eluted under the following conditions: flow rate 1 ml/min, buffer A: 50 mM NaOH; buffer B: 500 mM sodium acetate in 50 mM NaOH; gradient 0 to 2 min, 98% A 2% B (isocratic), 2 to 15 min 75% A 25% B (linear 15 to 45 min 60% A 40% B (linear).

The laminarioligosaccharide standards were obtained from Seikagaku (Japan).

6. Thin-layer Chromatography (TLC)

The laminarioligosaccharides were revealed by thin-layer chromatography on silica gel 60 (Kieselgel, Merck) using n-butanol/acetic acid/water (2/1/1.5) as eluant and sulfuric orcinol coloration.

The degree of polymerization (dp) of the oligosaccharides was also determined by HPAE-type chromatography using a pulsed electrochemical detector and an anion-exchange column (CARBO6PAC PA1, 4.6×250 mm, Dionex).

7. Preparation of Reduced Substrates

The laminarioligosaccharides were obtained by partial acid hydrolysis (6.5 M TFA, 15 min, 100° C., followed by 1 M TFA, 45 min, 100° C.) of curdlan (Serva). The TFA was removed by rotary evaporation in the presence of methanol. The oligosaccharides were reduced overnight with NaBH₄ (1:0.5 (w/w)) in 0.1 M NaOH at room temperature). The reduced ends of the laminarioligosaccharides marked with ³H were similarly prepared by reduction with NaB³H₄ (Amersham, 20-40 Ci/mmol, 10 mCi per mg of oligosaccharide) overnight followed by a subsequent reduction by NaBH₄ as before.

The excess of NaBH₄ was destroyed by addition of acetic acid up to pH 5-6, and the borate salts were removed by rotary evaporation in the presence of methanol. The reduced oligosaccharides were desalted by gel filtration on a SEPHADEX G15 column (1.2×80 cm, 8 ml.h⁻¹, equilibrated in water) and collected after detection by the orcinol-sulfuric acid method (Ashwell, 1966, Methods Enzymol, 8, 85-95). The laminarioligosaccharides were separated by HPAEC on a CARBOPAC PA1 preparative column (9×250 mm, Dionex) with a Na acetate gradient 15 to 350 mM in 50 mM NaOH, (45 min) at a flow rate of 4 ml.min⁻¹. The oligosaccharide fractions collected were neutralized with acetic acid, desalted by gel filtration on a SEPHADEX G15 column as described above, then lyophilized. The laminarin (Sigma) was reduced in the same way, but desalted by dialysis against 0.5% acetic acid, followed by dialysis against water, then lyophilized. The gentiooligosaccharides were prepared as above (without reduction) from pulsatin (Calbiochem) which had been finely divided with a pestle and mortar. The maltoheptaose and cellopentaose were from Boehringer Mannheim and Sigma, respectively. The chitohexaose was a gift from Dr. A Domard (Université Claude Bernard, Villeurbanne, France). G₁₀ reduce with borohydride containing a β-(1-6) intrachain bond at the sixth link from the reduced end (rG₁₀*) was obtained by incubating the reduced laminarihexose (rG₆) with an enzyme homologous with the BGT1 enzyme from Candida purified from A. fumigatus. The product from the transferase rG₁₀* was separated and purified as for the laminarioligosaccharides.

7. Electrophoresis on SDS-polyacrylamide Gel

The protein samples were analyzed by SDS-PAGE (Laemmli, 1970, Nature, 227, 680-685) using 10% separation gels and 4% stacked gels. The protein bands were revealed by coloration with Coomassie blue. The N-glycosylation of the glycoproteins was performed using the recombinant N-glucosidase F (Oxford GlycoSystems) according to the manufacturer's instructions.

8. ¹H NMR Spectroscopy

Two samples were analyzed: the reduced laminarioligosaccharide G₁₀ used as standard and a reduced oligosaccharide G₁₆ obtained after incubation of rG₁₀ with the transferase and purified by HPAEC. The deuterium in the samples dried by lyophilization was replaced by dissolution in D₂O (99.95%, Solvents Documentation Synthese, France). The spectra were recorded at 300 K and 318 K on Variant Unity 500 spectrometer operating at a proton frequency of 500 MHz. The OH resonance of the residual water was removed by selective radiation during the relaxation time. Sodium 3-trimethylsilylpropionic acid was used as external standard.

Example 1 Purification of the 49 kDa Protein

A high-performance anion-exchange chromatography (HPAEC) test using laminarioligosaccharides reduced with borohydride as substrates was developed to study the activities of the β-glucanosyl transferase associated with the cell wall of A. fumigatus. A new β-(1-3)-glucosyl transferase activity was detected in the semi-purified fractions from the autolysate of the cell wall of A. fumigatus, which remained associated with a 49 kDa protein throughout its purification.

The protein was purified to apparent homogeneity with four steps of ion-exchange chromatography and one gel filtration step.

The activity of the transferase was clearly detectable after only the second chromatography step (MONO S). The analysis by SDS-PAGE of the purified fraction showed a main band at 49 kDa (FIG. 1, well b). In order to determine if it contained an N-linked carbohydrate, the protein was digested with N-glucosidase F. The digested protein passed on SDS-PAGE as 44kDa protein, (FIG. 1, well c) showing that it contained about 5 kDa of N-linked carbohydrate.

Example 2 Enzymatic Activity of the 49 kDa Protein

HPAEC analysis of the products resulting from the incubation of the 49 kDa protein with a laminarioligosaccharide reduced with borohydride (rG_(n)) of size G₁₀ or larger led to the characterization of a new activity of glucanosyl transferase type.

The principal initial products arising from the incubation with rG₁₁ were rG₆ and rG₁₆; rG₁₂ gave rG₆+rG₇ and rG₁₇+rG₁₈, rG₁₃ gave rG₆ to rG₈ and rG₁₈ to rG₂₀, and rG₁₄ gave rG₆ to rG₉ and rG₁₉ to rG₂₂ (FIG. 2). Significantly, no products of the laminarioligosaccharide type, reduced or not, were detected, confirming the absence of any endo-β-(1-3)-glucanase activity. The presence of such activity would have caused the formation of a mixture of hydrolysis products, reduced or not, the latter having different retention times. In addition, no glucose was detected, and together with the absence of hydrolysis of p-nitrophenyl-β-glucopyranoside and the formation in the network of reducing sugar arising from the laminarin reduced with borohydride in the corresponding colorimetric tests, this confirmed the absence of exo-β-(1-3)-glucanase and β-glucosidase activity.

The profile of the products obtained (FIG. 2) is in agreement with an endogenous type of glucanosyl transferase activity in which the glucan chain is cleaved by an endolytic cleavage, freeing the portion of the reduced end, and the remainder is transferred to another glucan chain, to form a larger transferase product. Thus, in the simplest reaction with rG₁₁, the enzyme cleaves the substrate, liberating rG₆ from the reduced end of the substrate molecule, and the remaining G₅ is then transferred to another rG₁₁ molecule acting as receptor, to form a transferase-type product rG₁₆:

E+rG₁₁→E. G₅+rG₆

E. G₅+rG₁₁→E+rG₁₆

where E represents the enzyme. The transferase cleaves rG₁₂ in two different places, leading to two different transferase-type products:

E+rG₁₂→E. G₆+rG₆→E. G₅ +rG₇

E. G₆+rG₁₂→E+rG₁₈

E. G₅+rG₁₂→E+rG₁₇

Similarly with rG₁₃ and rG₁₄, the transferase cleaves in three or four different places, respectively, each time transferring the part of the non-reduced end to another acceptor molecule rG₁₃ or rG₁₄.

Additional analyses of incubations of the 49 kDa transferase with reduced or smaller laminarioligosaccharides showed that the reaction with rG₁₀ gave rG₅ +rG₆ and rG₁₄+rG₁₅, as initial major products, while the reaction with rG₉ was extremely slow, forming small peaks of rG₅ to rG₉ and rG₁₀ to rG₁₃. No products were detected after incubation with laminarioligosaccharides of size G₈ or smaller.

In order to determine the relative reaction rate of the enzymes with laminarioligosaccharides of variable sizes, the 49 kDa enzyme (0.25 μg) was incubated with 8 mM of rG₁₀ to rG₁₅ marked with ³H and the rate of formation of the marked products was measured. The rate with rG₁₀ (328 nmol.min⁻¹) was approximately equal to 50% of that with the larger substrates and there was no significant difference between the reaction rates for rG₁₁ to rG₁₅ (648±46 nmol.min⁻¹.mg proteins⁻¹).

Analysis of longer incubations of the purified enzymes with reduced laminarioligosaccharides of size at least G₁₀ showed that the products from the initial transferase could be re-used either as donors or as acceptors, leading to the formation of products of increasing size, until they are eliminated from the solution because of their insolubility in the aqueous buffer. An incubation of 30 min with rG₁₆ (containing some contaminating rG₁₅) led to the formation of reduced initial major products of sizes G₆ to G₁₁ and G₂₁, to G₂₆ (FIG. 3), but after 120 mm, larger transferase products appeared with sizes of at least G₄₀ (FIG. 3). The products with sizes G₂₉ and larger precipitated at the bottom of the incubation tube since they were absent when the reaction mixture was briefly centrifuged and the supernatant analyzed. Incubation of the purified enzyme with reduced laminarin led to the production of smaller and larger products, showing that soluble oligosaccharides of size at least G₃₀ and larger can act as donors and acceptors in the reaction.

In order to determine the smallest laminarioligosaccharide which could act as acceptor, the purified transferase was incubated with 4 mM of rG₁₁ as donor and 16 mM of rG₈ or smaller as acceptor. Analyses of the incubations of rG₁₁ rG₄ or smaller showed the formation of rG₆ and rG₁₆ as the only initial major products, showing that only rG₁₁ had been used as acceptor. However, incubations containing rG₁₁ and rG₅ to rG₈ showed additional transferase products consistent with the use of the latter oligosaccharides as acceptors. For example, the reaction of rG₁₁ and rG₇ led to the initial formation of rG₆, rG₁₂ and rG₁₆ consistent with:

E+rG₁₄→E.G₅+rG₆

E.G₅+rG₁₁→E+rG₁₆

E.G₅+rG₇→E+rG₂

The relative rate of the reaction with the acceptors was determined by using 2 mM of rG₁₁ as donor and 32 mM of reduced acceptor marked with ³H and measuring the formation of marked transferase product (FIG. 4). Under these conditions, the reaction with rG₁₁ used as acceptor was negligible. The reaction rate increased with an increase in chain length, showing that the 49 kDa enzyme prefers the larger laminarioligosaccharides acceptors.

The transferase showed no activity towards the gentiooligosaccharides (size G₃₋₈), chitohexaose, cellopentaose or maltoheptaose, either in the presence or absence of rG₁₁, suggesting that the enzyme exclusively uses a β-(1-3) glucan as donor. This was demonstrated by using a reduced branched G₁₀ (rG₁₀*) similar to the laminaridecaose, except that the sixth link from the reduced end is a β-(1-6)-type link. Incubation of the 49 kDa enzyme with 8mM of rG₁₀* gave no products, showing that it was not a donor. However, a similar incubation in the presence of 2 mM of rG₁₁ led to the formation of rG₆ and an elution peak in the position of rG₁₅ as initial major products, showing that rG₁₀* can act as an acceptor.

Example 3 ¹H NMR Analysis of the Reduced G₁₆ Transferase Product

In order to determine if the 49 kDa transferase had produced a new type of bond during the transfer, the product rG₁₆ of the transferase was purified from the incubation medium of the transferase with rG₁₁. Approximately 300 μg of the product were analyzed by ¹H NMR The ID spectrum of the product rG₁₆ of the transferase showed three chemical shifts in the anomeric region:

δ=4.68 ppm corresponding to the glucose residue linked to the glucitol group;

δ=4.75 ppm corresponding to the glucose residue of the non-reduced end;

δ=4.80 ppm corresponding to the intrachain residues of glucose, linked β-(1-3).

The relative intensities of the anomeric signals showed 1, 1 and 13 protons respectively. Since the glucitol gives no signals in the anomeric region, this confirms the length of the oligosaccharide (16 residues), The coupling constants measured for these signals were in agreement with β-linked glucose residues (³J_(1,2)=7.9 Hz). The presence of a single unit of the glucose type at the non-reduced end indicates that the 49 kDa protein had been transferred to the non-reduced end of the β-(1-3) glucan acceptor.

The 1D spectrum of the product rG₁₆ was identical, except for the relative intensity of the 4.80 ppm signal compared to that of the rG₁₀ laminarioligosaccharide standard. In addition, no chemical shift characteristic of a glucose residue linked (1-2), (1-4) or (1-6) was visible, confirming that the rG₁₆ product was a laminari-hexadecaose. The conjoint elution of the rG₁₆ product with the rG₁₆ reference on HPAEC and the insolubility of the larger product are in agreement with the production of a β-(1-3)-type bond during the transfer.

Example 4 Effect of Substrate Concentration on the Reaction Products

In order to determine whether the concentration decreasing of acceptors stimulated the hydrolysis reactions, the 49 kDa transferase was incubated with 3 μl of [³H]-rG₁₁ and decreasing quantities of unmarked rG₁₁. A shift from the transfer (i) to the hydrolysis (ii) was observed (FIG. 5, inset):

E+[³H]-rG₁₁→E.G₅+[³H]-rG₆

(i)→E.G₅+[³H]-rG₁₁→E+[³H]-rG₁₆

(ii)→E.G₅+H₂O→E+G₅

The percentage of transfer was determined by measuring the formation of marked rG₁₆ (transfer only) compared with that of marked rG₆ (transfer plus hydrolysis) in the reaction. At an rG₁₁ concentration of 3 mM, only transfer was detected. As the substrate concentration reduced to 18 μM, the percentage of transfer leveled out at about 35% and did not decrease significantly with a low substrate concentration (3 μM) (FIG. 5). Reduction of the buffer concentration to 10 mM did not change the transfer percentage for any substrate concentration. It seems that below the given conditions, the 49 kDa transferase was unable to catalyze more than about 65% of hydrolysis by simply reducing the substrate concentration to very low levels.

Example 5 Optimum pH and Stability

The 49 kDa enzyme was tested at different pH values, the storage stability was verified and the activity of the N-glycosylated enzyme was tested. The enzyme was active over a wide range of acid pH, showing an activity of more than 50% of its maximum between pH 2.5 and 6.0. The enzyme showed a pH optimum of about 5.0 in citrate buffer (FIG. 6). The enzyme was very stable and could be stored at 4° C. in 10 mM citrate buffer, pH 5.0 for several weeks, or dried by a speed-vac and then re-suspended in a buffer, or stored at −20° C. without significant loss of activity. The 44 kDa de-N-glycosylated enzyme prepared under non-denaturing conditions was as active as the native glycosylated enzyme when incubated with 8 nM of rG₁₁.

Example 6 Kinetic Analysis

The 49 kDa enzyme catalyzed its transferase-type reaction by a bi-reaction type mechanism (two steps) with an initial hydrolysis of the substrate to liberate the portion of the reduced end, and a subsequent transfer of the remainder of the non-reduced end to a substrate molecule playing the role of an acceptor molecule.

By using rG₁₁ as substrate, it was impossible to calculate an apparent Km corresponding to the two steps of the reaction. In order to determine a Km for the donor site, we used an acceptor which was not a donor. We used. [³H]-rG₇ (1×10⁶ cpm) as acceptor at a high concentration (64 mM) with different concentrations of rG₁₁ kept below 8 mM. Under these conditions, the reaction took place with rG₁₁ as donor and rG₇ was used rather than rG₁₁ as acceptor, as determined by the absence of formation of the transferase product rG₁₆. The initial reaction rate was determined by measuring the appearance of marked rG₁₂.

An apparent Km of 5.3 mM was obtained from reciprocal double spots (value of r²=0.997).

Example 7 Cloning, Sequencing and Interruption of the Gene Coding for BGT2 in A. fumigatus.

Two amino acid sequences were obtained from the purified BGT2 protein. The NH₂ terminal sequence was DVTPITVKGNAFFKGDERFY (SEQ ID NO: 20) and an internal sequence was DAPNWDVDNDALP (SEQ ID NO: 21). An oligonucleotide of 38 units on the N-terminal part having the following sequence SEQ ID No 4:

(AAG GG(T/C) AA(C/T) GC(T/C) TTC TT(C/T) AAG GG(T/C) GA(T/C) GAG CG(T/C) TTC TA)

was used to screen a gene bank created in the phage EMBL3 after partial digestion by Sau3A of the DNA of A. fumigatus as described by Monod (1994, 33-40, Mol. Biology of pathogenic fungi, B. Maresca and G. S. Kobayashi).

The transfer was performed on membranes of the ZETAPROBE type. The membranes were pre-hybridized and hybridized at 50° C. in a solution containing SSC 5×, Na₂HPO₄ 25 mM, pH7, SDS 7%, Denhard 10× and 1% salmon sperm. The membranes were washed twice at 42° C. in a solution containing SSC 3×, Denhard 10×, SDS 5%, Na₂HPO₄ 25 mM, and twice in an SDS solution with 1% SSC 1×.

The cloning and sequencing of the gene coding for the BGT2 protein showed significant homologies with the genes PHR1 and GAS1 previously identified in C. albicans and S. cerevisiae respectively (Saporito Irwin and Coil. (1995) Mol. Cell Biol., 15, 601-613; Nuoffer and Coil., J. Biol. Chem., (1991), 226, 19, 12242-12248) (FIG. 7). The GAS 1 gene from S. cerevisiae was also responsible for a glucanosyl transferase activity. In this fungus species, the minimum size of optimal substrate was G10, rather than G11 for A. fumigatus.

The disruption of the BGT2 gene was carried out by using the vector pAN7-1 (Punt and Coil. (1987) Gene 56, 117-124) supplied by P. Punt (TNO, Rijinsik). This vector was modified as pN4 (Paris and Coil. (1993) FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 111, 31-36) by the replacement of a restriction site HindIII by a Sma1 site. About 50% of the open reading frame of BGT2 was replaced by pN4 at an EcoRV restriction site. A complete transformation was performed as previously described (Paris, (1994) Isolation of protease negative mutants of Aspergillus fumigatus by insertion of a disrupted gene, p. 49-55. Mol. Biology of pathogenic fungi, B. Maresca and G. S. Kobayashi) by using protoplasts produced by Novozyme and the linearized plasmid in the presence of PEG.

The Δ49 mutant from A. fumigatus obtained was deposited on Jul. 30, 1996 at the CNCM under the deposit number I-1764.

It showed no phenotype distinct from the wild strain, except for a total inhibition of the growth in the fermenter after 24 hours growth.

Example 8 Cloning and Sequencing of the cDNA of BGT2.

The cDNA of BGT2 was obtained by amplification with two primers of cDNA type 5′ GAATTCGACGACGTTACTCCCATCACT 3′ (SEQ ID NO: 5) of P1 and 5′ TCTAGAGGGTATGAGAAGAACAAATCA 3′ (SEQ ID NO: 6) of P2 obtained from 10 ng of cDNA, 1U of taq polymerase, 200 mM of each primer. 30 Amplification cycles were performed, comprising 1 minute at 95° C., one minute at 55° C. and one minute at 72° C.

The amplified preparation was then cloned in a vector using a TA Cloning kit (In Vitrogen).

Example 9 Expression of the β-(1-3)-glucanosyltransferase

Experiments using Triton X114 divisions with or without treatment with GPI-phospholipase C showed that the protein BGT2 from A. fumigatus was attached to the plasma membrane by a GPI residue.

The attachment of the protein to the membrane was not necessary for retention of enzymatic activity. We showed that in A. fumigatus the same activity was present when the protein was either free in the culture medium (in the absence of the GPI bond) or attached to the plasma membrane.

These results suggested that the expression of the glucanosyltransferase could be performed in vectors by a secreted expression. The Pichia pastoris expression system from In Vitrogen was selected. This system had been previously used for another 88 kDA protein from A. fumigatus and it was confirmed that Pichia preserved the glycosylation site of the native protein very well.

The vector used was pPICZα (In Vitrogen) for the secretion with a myc epitope and six histidine residues in tandem for easy purification. The C-terminal sequence responsible for the attachment by GPI was removed before the sub-cloning in pPICZα so as to obtain an enzymatically active truncated secreted protein.

This recombinant protein was used for the detection of antifungal drugs. The inhibition of the enzymatic activity may be measured by an HPLC-type detection in the absence of cleavage and an additional elongation of any β-(1-3) laminarioligosaccharides with dp>10 in the presence of p49 from A. fumigatus.

The absence of motility of the laminarioligosaccharide measured by thin-layer chromatography by conventional techniques or directly after marking of the reduced end with a chromogenic or fluorogenic radical could be a fundamental technique for performing detection automatically.

Since the product from the β-(1-3) glucanosyltransferase becomes insoluble in an aqueous medium, because of the elongation of the β-glucan chain, the absence of precipitation of any product after prolonged incubation using a radioactively marked substrate could also be used for drug detection.

Example 10 Identification of Genes with Homologies with BGT2

Degenerate oligonucleotide primers corresponding to the regions retained in the sequence in FIG. 10 were synthesized by GENSET. They had the following sequences:

SEQ ID No 7 (P3): 5′ GSYTTCTTCKCYGGCAACGAGGTT 3′

SEQ ID No 8 (P4′): 5′ GTTGCAGCCGWATTCGGASAYGAA 3′ in which Y is C or T

K is T or G

S is C or G

W is A or T.

PCR reactions were carried out in a volume of 100 μl containing 1.5 mM MgCl₂, 50 mM KCl, 10 mM TrisCl (pH 8), 250 μM of dATP, dGTP, dCTP and dTTP (Pharmacia), 1 μM of each primer, 2.5 units of AMPLITAQ DNA polymerase (Pharmacia) and 50 ng of genomic DNA. The amplification was performed in an OmniGene apparatus initially for 5 min at 93° C., then for 30 cycles of 1 min at 93° C., then for 1 min at 50° C. and 1 min at 72° C. The products from the PCR reaction were analyzed by electrophoresis on 1% agarose gel, then revealed by ultraviolet after coloration with ethidium bromide.

The fragments resulting from the PCR reaction were ligatured in pCR2.1 (TA cloning kit, In Vitrogen). The recombinant plasmid inserts were sequenced by the dideoxy chain termination method (Sanger et al., 1977) using SEQUENASE, Version 2 (US Biochemicals) according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Two nucleotide sequences were thus amplified: sequences SEQ ED No 9 and SEQ ID No 11. The amino acid sequences deduced from the nucleotide sequences were sequences SEQ ID No 10 and SEQ ID No 12, corresponding to the genes named BGT4 and BGT3.

These sequences are in particular described in the list below. They have identity percentages with BGT2 of 41% and 37% respectively.

Restriction maps of the two sequences SEQ ID No 10 and SEQ ID No 12 are represented respectively in FIGS. 12 and 11.

The sequences SEQ ID No 9 and SEQ ID No 11 were inserted into the plasmid PCRII which was introduced into E. coli. These bacteria were deposited on the Aug. 22, 1997 at the CNCM under numbers I-1914 and I-1913 respectively.

TABLE Reaction of the transferase with an initial rate of formation of the transfer product Transferase Transfer rate reaction (nmol.min⁻¹.mg protein⁻¹) rG₁₁ + [³H]-rG₅ → RG₆ + [³H]-rG₁₀ 203 rG₁₁ + [³H]-rG₆ → RG₆ + [³H]-rG₁₁ 387 rG₁₁ + [³H]-rG₇ → RG₆ + [³H]-rG₁₂ 484 rG₁₁ + [³H]-rG₈ → RG₆ + [³H]-rG₁₃ 586

21 1 1359 DNA Aspergillus fumigatus CDS (1)..(1356) 1 atg aag gcc tct gct gtt act gcc gct ctc gcc gtc ggt gct tcc acc 48 Met Lys Ala Ser Ala Val Thr Ala Ala Leu Ala Val Gly Ala Ser Thr 1 5 10 15 gtt ctg gca gcc ccc tcc atc aag gct cgt gac gac gtt act ccc atc 96 Val Leu Ala Ala Pro Ser Ile Lys Ala Arg Asp Asp Val Thr Pro Ile 20 25 30 act gtc aag ggc aat gcc ttc ttc aag ggc gat gag cgt ttc tat att 144 Thr Val Lys Gly Asn Ala Phe Phe Lys Gly Asp Glu Arg Phe Tyr Ile 35 40 45 cgc ggt gtc gac tac cag ccc ggt ggc tcc tcc gac ctg gct gat ccc 192 Arg Gly Val Asp Tyr Gln Pro Gly Gly Ser Ser Asp Leu Ala Asp Pro 50 55 60 atc gct gat gcc gat ggt tgc aag cgt gac att gcc aag ttc aag gag 240 Ile Ala Asp Ala Asp Gly Cys Lys Arg Asp Ile Ala Lys Phe Lys Glu 65 70 75 80 ctg ggc ctg aac act atc cgt gtc tac tcg gtc gac aac tcc aag aac 288 Leu Gly Leu Asn Thr Ile Arg Val Tyr Ser Val Asp Asn Ser Lys Asn 85 90 95 cac gat gag tgt atg aat aca ctg gct gat gct ggc atc tat ctg gtg 336 His Asp Glu Cys Met Asn Thr Leu Ala Asp Ala Gly Ile Tyr Leu Val 100 105 110 ctc gat gtc aac act ccc aag tac tcc atc aac cgc gcc aag cct aag 384 Leu Asp Val Asn Thr Pro Lys Tyr Ser Ile Asn Arg Ala Lys Pro Lys 115 120 125 gag tcg tac aac gat gtc tac ctc cag tat atc ttc gct acc gtt gat 432 Glu Ser Tyr Asn Asp Val Tyr Leu Gln Tyr Ile Phe Ala Thr Val Asp 130 135 140 gct ttc gcc ggt tac aag aac acc ctc gct ttc ttc tcc ggc aac gag 480 Ala Phe Ala Gly Tyr Lys Asn Thr Leu Ala Phe Phe Ser Gly Asn Glu 145 150 155 160 gtt atc aac gat ggc cct tcc tcc tct gct gct ccc tac gtc aag gcc 528 Val Ile Asn Asp Gly Pro Ser Ser Ser Ala Ala Pro Tyr Val Lys Ala 165 170 175 gtc act cgt gat ctg cgt cag tac atc cgt agc cgc aag tac cgt gag 576 Val Thr Arg Asp Leu Arg Gln Tyr Ile Arg Ser Arg Lys Tyr Arg Glu 180 185 190 att cct gtc ggc tac tcg gct gcc gat atc gac acc aac cgt ctt cag 624 Ile Pro Val Gly Tyr Ser Ala Ala Asp Ile Asp Thr Asn Arg Leu Gln 195 200 205 atg gcc cag tat atg aac tgc ggt tcc gac gac gag cgc agt gac ttc 672 Met Ala Gln Tyr Met Asn Cys Gly Ser Asp Asp Glu Arg Ser Asp Phe 210 215 220 ttc gct ttc aac gac tac tcc tgg tgc gat ccc tcc tct ttc aaa acc 720 Phe Ala Phe Asn Asp Tyr Ser Trp Cys Asp Pro Ser Ser Phe Lys Thr 225 230 235 240 tcg ggc tgg gat cag aag gtc aag aac ttc act ggc tac ggt ctt cct 768 Ser Gly Trp Asp Gln Lys Val Lys Asn Phe Thr Gly Tyr Gly Leu Pro 245 250 255 ctc ttc ctg tcc gaa tac ggc tgc aac acc aac aag cgt caa ttc caa 816 Leu Phe Leu Ser Glu Tyr Gly Cys Asn Thr Asn Lys Arg Gln Phe Gln 260 265 270 gaa gtc agc tct ctc tac tcc acg gac atg act ggt gtc tac tct ggt 864 Glu Val Ser Ser Leu Tyr Ser Thr Asp Met Thr Gly Val Tyr Ser Gly 275 280 285 ggt ctc gtg tac gag tac tct cag gag gcc agc aac tac ggt ctg gtg 912 Gly Leu Val Tyr Glu Tyr Ser Gln Glu Ala Ser Asn Tyr Gly Leu Val 290 295 300 gag att agc ggc aac aat gtc aag gag ctc cca gac ttc gac gct ctg 960 Glu Ile Ser Gly Asn Asn Val Lys Glu Leu Pro Asp Phe Asp Ala Leu 305 310 315 320 aag acc gcg ttc gaa aag acc tcc aac ccc tcc ggc gac ggc aac tac 1008 Lys Thr Ala Phe Glu Lys Thr Ser Asn Pro Ser Gly Asp Gly Asn Tyr 325 330 335 aac aag act ggt ggt gcc aac cct tgc ccc gct aag gac gct ccc aac 1056 Asn Lys Thr Gly Gly Ala Asn Pro Cys Pro Ala Lys Asp Ala Pro Asn 340 345 350 tgg gac gtt gac aac gat gct ctt cct gcc atc ccc gag ccc gcc aag 1104 Trp Asp Val Asp Asn Asp Ala Leu Pro Ala Ile Pro Glu Pro Ala Lys 355 360 365 aag tac atg act gag ggt gct ggc aag ggc cct ggt ttt gcc gga cct 1152 Lys Tyr Met Thr Glu Gly Ala Gly Lys Gly Pro Gly Phe Ala Gly Pro 370 375 380 ggc agc cag gac cgt ggt acc cag tcc act gcc act gct gag ccc gga 1200 Gly Ser Gln Asp Arg Gly Thr Gln Ser Thr Ala Thr Ala Glu Pro Gly 385 390 395 400 tct ggc tct gcc act gga agc agc agc agc ggc acc tcc acc tct tcc 1248 Ser Gly Ser Ala Thr Gly Ser Ser Ser Ser Gly Thr Ser Thr Ser Ser 405 410 415 aag ggc gct gca gct ggc ctg act gtc cct agc ctg acc atg gct ccc 1296 Lys Gly Ala Ala Ala Gly Leu Thr Val Pro Ser Leu Thr Met Ala Pro 420 425 430 gtt gtc gtt ggt gcg gtt aca ctc ctg tcc acc gtc ttc ggc gct ggc 1344 Val Val Val Gly Ala Val Thr Leu Leu Ser Thr Val Phe Gly Ala Gly 435 440 445 ctc gtc ctc ttg tga 1359 Leu Val Leu Leu 450 2 452 PRT Aspergillus fumigatus 2 Met Lys Ala Ser Ala Val Thr Ala Ala Leu Ala Val Gly Ala Ser Thr 1 5 10 15 Val Leu Ala Ala Pro Ser Ile Lys Ala Arg Asp Asp Val Thr Pro Ile 20 25 30 Thr Val Lys Gly Asn Ala Phe Phe Lys Gly Asp Glu Arg Phe Tyr Ile 35 40 45 Arg Gly Val Asp Tyr Gln Pro Gly Gly Ser Ser Asp Leu Ala Asp Pro 50 55 60 Ile Ala Asp Ala Asp Gly Cys Lys Arg Asp Ile Ala Lys Phe Lys Glu 65 70 75 80 Leu Gly Leu Asn Thr Ile Arg Val Tyr Ser Val Asp Asn Ser Lys Asn 85 90 95 His Asp Glu Cys Met Asn Thr Leu Ala Asp Ala Gly Ile Tyr Leu Val 100 105 110 Leu Asp Val Asn Thr Pro Lys Tyr Ser Ile Asn Arg Ala Lys Pro Lys 115 120 125 Glu Ser Tyr Asn Asp Val Tyr Leu Gln Tyr Ile Phe Ala Thr Val Asp 130 135 140 Ala Phe Ala Gly Tyr Lys Asn Thr Leu Ala Phe Phe Ser Gly Asn Glu 145 150 155 160 Val Ile Asn Asp Gly Pro Ser Ser Ser Ala Ala Pro Tyr Val Lys Ala 165 170 175 Val Thr Arg Asp Leu Arg Gln Tyr Ile Arg Ser Arg Lys Tyr Arg Glu 180 185 190 Ile Pro Val Gly Tyr Ser Ala Ala Asp Ile Asp Thr Asn Arg Leu Gln 195 200 205 Met Ala Gln Tyr Met Asn Cys Gly Ser Asp Asp Glu Arg Ser Asp Phe 210 215 220 Phe Ala Phe Asn Asp Tyr Ser Trp Cys Asp Pro Ser Ser Phe Lys Thr 225 230 235 240 Ser Gly Trp Asp Gln Lys Val Lys Asn Phe Thr Gly Tyr Gly Leu Pro 245 250 255 Leu Phe Leu Ser Glu Tyr Gly Cys Asn Thr Asn Lys Arg Gln Phe Gln 260 265 270 Glu Val Ser Ser Leu Tyr Ser Thr Asp Met Thr Gly Val Tyr Ser Gly 275 280 285 Gly Leu Val Tyr Glu Tyr Ser Gln Glu Ala Ser Asn Tyr Gly Leu Val 290 295 300 Glu Ile Ser Gly Asn Asn Val Lys Glu Leu Pro Asp Phe Asp Ala Leu 305 310 315 320 Lys Thr Ala Phe Glu Lys Thr Ser Asn Pro Ser Gly Asp Gly Asn Tyr 325 330 335 Asn Lys Thr Gly Gly Ala Asn Pro Cys Pro Ala Lys Asp Ala Pro Asn 340 345 350 Trp Asp Val Asp Asn Asp Ala Leu Pro Ala Ile Pro Glu Pro Ala Lys 355 360 365 Lys Tyr Met Thr Glu Gly Ala Gly Lys Gly Pro Gly Phe Ala Gly Pro 370 375 380 Gly Ser Gln Asp Arg Gly Thr Gln Ser Thr Ala Thr Ala Glu Pro Gly 385 390 395 400 Ser Gly Ser Ala Thr Gly Ser Ser Ser Ser Gly Thr Ser Thr Ser Ser 405 410 415 Lys Gly Ala Ala Ala Gly Leu Thr Val Pro Ser Leu Thr Met Ala Pro 420 425 430 Val Val Val Gly Ala Val Thr Leu Leu Ser Thr Val Phe Gly Ala Gly 435 440 445 Leu Val Leu Leu 450 3 426 PRT Aspergillus fumigatus 3 Asp Asp Val Thr Pro Ile Thr Val Lys Gly Asn Ala Phe Phe Lys Gly 1 5 10 15 Asp Glu Arg Phe Tyr Ile Arg Gly Val Asp Tyr Gln Pro Gly Gly Ser 20 25 30 Ser Asp Leu Ala Asp Pro Ile Ala Asp Ala Asp Gly Cys Lys Arg Asp 35 40 45 Ile Ala Lys Phe Lys Glu Leu Gly Leu Asn Thr Ile Arg Val Tyr Ser 50 55 60 Val Asp Asn Ser Lys Asn His Asp Glu Cys Met Asn Thr Leu Ala Asp 65 70 75 80 Ala Gly Ile Tyr Leu Val Leu Asp Val Asn Thr Pro Lys Tyr Ser Ile 85 90 95 Asn Arg Ala Lys Pro Lys Glu Ser Tyr Asn Asp Val Tyr Leu Gln Tyr 100 105 110 Ile Phe Ala Thr Val Asp Ala Phe Ala Gly Tyr Lys Asn Thr Leu Ala 115 120 125 Phe Phe Ser Gly Asn Glu Val Ile Asn Asp Gly Pro Ser Ser Ser Ala 130 135 140 Ala Pro Tyr Val Lys Ala Val Thr Arg Asp Leu Arg Gln Tyr Ile Arg 145 150 155 160 Ser Arg Lys Tyr Arg Glu Ile Pro Val Gly Tyr Ser Ala Ala Asp Ile 165 170 175 Asp Thr Asn Arg Leu Gln Met Ala Gln Tyr Met Asn Cys Gly Ser Asp 180 185 190 Asp Glu Arg Ser Asp Phe Phe Ala Phe Asn Asp Tyr Ser Trp Cys Asp 195 200 205 Pro Ser Ser Phe Lys Thr Ser Gly Trp Asp Gln Lys Val Lys Asn Phe 210 215 220 Thr Gly Tyr Gly Leu Pro Leu Phe Leu Ser Glu Tyr Gly Cys Asn Thr 225 230 235 240 Asn Lys Arg Gln Phe Gln Glu Val Ser Ser Leu Tyr Ser Thr Asp Met 245 250 255 Thr Gly Val Tyr Ser Gly Gly Leu Val Tyr Glu Tyr Ser Gln Glu Ala 260 265 270 Ser Asn Tyr Gly Leu Val Glu Ile Ser Gly Asn Asn Val Lys Glu Leu 275 280 285 Pro Asp Phe Asp Ala Leu Lys Thr Ala Phe Glu Lys Thr Ser Asn Pro 290 295 300 Ser Gly Asp Gly Asn Tyr Asn Lys Thr Gly Gly Ala Asn Pro Cys Pro 305 310 315 320 Ala Lys Asp Ala Pro Asn Trp Asp Val Asp Asn Asp Ala Leu Pro Ala 325 330 335 Ile Pro Glu Pro Ala Lys Lys Tyr Met Thr Glu Gly Ala Gly Lys Gly 340 345 350 Pro Gly Phe Ala Gly Pro Gly Ser Gln Asp Arg Gly Thr Gln Ser Thr 355 360 365 Ala Thr Ala Glu Pro Gly Ser Gly Ser Ala Thr Gly Ser Ser Ser Ser 370 375 380 Gly Thr Ser Thr Ser Ser Lys Gly Ala Ala Ala Gly Leu Thr Val Pro 385 390 395 400 Ser Leu Thr Met Ala Pro Val Val Val Gly Ala Val Thr Leu Leu Ser 405 410 415 Thr Val Phe Gly Ala Gly Leu Val Leu Leu 420 425 4 38 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Synthetic Oligonucleotide 4 aagggyaayg cyttcttyaa gggygaygag cgyttcta 38 5 27 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Primer 5 gaattcgacg acgttactcc catcact 27 6 27 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Primer 6 tctagagggt atgagaagaa caaatca 27 7 24 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Primer 7 gsyttcttck cyggcaacga ggtt 24 8 24 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Primer 8 gttgcagccg wattcggasa ygaa 24 9 394 DNA Aspergillus fumigatus 9 ggcttcttcg ccggcaacga ggttatcaac gagcagagtg tcaagaacgt tcccacttac 60 gtccgggtat gtcatccatc cccacagctt acgattgcct gtccactgac actctcgtag 120 gcgactcagc gtgacatgaa ggactactac gcaaagaacc ttgaccgcag cattcctgtt 180 ggctattctg ctgccgatat tcgtcccatc ctcatggcac ccctcaacta cttcatgtgc 240 gctgacgatg ctaattccca atcggacttc ttcggcctca actcctactc gtggtgcggc 300 aactcgtcct acaccaagag tggctacgat gtcctcacca aggactttgc cgacgcctct 360 atccccgtct tcatctccga attcggctgc aaca 394 10 36 PRT Aspergillus fumigatus 10 Gly Phe Phe Ala Gly Asn Glu Val Ile Asn Glu Gln Ser Val Lys Asn 1 5 10 15 Val Pro Thr Tyr Val Arg Val Cys His Pro Ser Pro Gln Leu Thr Ile 20 25 30 Ala Cys Pro Leu 35 11 339 DNA Aspergillus fumigatus 11 ggtttcttcg ccggcaacga ggttgtgaat caggcgaatc agtccgccgg cgctgcattc 60 gtcaaggccg ccgcgcgaga catgaaggcc tacatcaaga ccaagggata ccggcaatcg 120 ctggcaattg gatacgcgac cactgacaac ccggaaatcc gactcccgct gtccgactac 180 ctcaactgcg gcgaccaggc cgacgcggtc gacttcttcg gctacaacat ctacgaatgg 240 tgcggtgaca agaccttcca gacctcgggc taccagaacc gcaccgagga gtacaaggac 300 tactccatcc ccatcttcat ctccgaatac ggctgcaac 339 12 113 PRT Aspergillus fumigatus 12 Gly Phe Phe Ala Gly Asn Glu Val Val Asn Gln Ala Asn Gln Ser Ala 1 5 10 15 Gly Ala Ala Phe Val Lys Ala Ala Ala Arg Asp Met Lys Ala Tyr Ile 20 25 30 Lys Thr Lys Gly Tyr Arg Gln Ser Leu Ala Ile Gly Tyr Ala Thr Thr 35 40 45 Asp Asn Pro Glu Ile Arg Leu Pro Leu Ser Asp Tyr Leu Asn Cys Gly 50 55 60 Asp Gln Ala Asp Ala Val Asp Phe Phe Gly Tyr Asn Ile Tyr Glu Trp 65 70 75 80 Cys Gly Asp Gln Thr Phe Gln Thr Ser Gly Tyr Gln Asn Arg Thr Glu 85 90 95 Glu Tyr Lys Asp Tyr Ser Ile Pro Ile Phe Ile Ser Glu Tyr Gly Cys 100 105 110 Asn 13 553 PRT Saccharomyces cerevisiae 13 Met Leu Phe Lys Ser Leu Ser Lys Leu Ala Thr Ala Ala Ala Phe Phe 1 5 10 15 Ala Gly Val Ala Thr Ala Asp Asp Val Pro Ala Ile Glu Val Val Gly 20 25 30 Asn Lys Phe Phe Tyr Ser Asn Asn Gly Ser Gln Phe Tyr Ile Arg Gly 35 40 45 Val Ala Tyr Gln Ala Asp Thr Ala Asn Glu Thr Ser Gly Ser Thr Val 50 55 60 Asn Asp Pro Leu Ala Asn Tyr Glu Ser Cys Ser Arg Asp Ile Pro Tyr 65 70 75 80 Leu Lys Lys Leu Asn Thr Asn Val Ile Arg Val Tyr Ala Ile Asn Thr 85 90 95 Thr Leu Asp His Ser Glu Cys Met Lys Ala Leu Asn Asp Ala Asp Ile 100 105 110 Tyr Val Ile Ala Asp Leu Ala Ala Pro Ala Thr Ser Ile Asn Arg Asp 115 120 125 Asp Pro Thr Trp Thr Val Asp Leu Phe Asn Ser Tyr Lys Thr Val Val 130 135 140 Asp Thr Pro Ala Asn Tyr Thr Asn Val Leu Phe Gly Phe Phe Ala Gly 145 150 155 160 Asn Glu Val Thr Asn Asn Tyr Thr Asn Thr Asp Ala Ser Ala Phe Val 165 170 175 Lys Ala Ala Ile Arg Asp Val Arg Gln Tyr Ile Ser Asp Lys Asn Tyr 180 185 190 Arg Lys Ile Pro Val Gly Tyr Ser Ser Asn Asp Asp Glu Asp Thr Arg 195 200 205 Val Lys Met Thr Asp Tyr Phe Ala Cys Gly Asp Asp Asp Val Lys Ala 210 215 220 Asp Phe Tyr Gly Ile Asn Met Tyr Glu Trp Cys Gly Lys Ser Asp Phe 225 230 235 240 Lys Thr Ser Gly Tyr Ala Asp Arg Thr Ala Glu Phe Lys Asn Leu Ser 245 250 255 Ile Pro Val Phe Phe Ser Glu Tyr Gly Cys Asn Glu Val Thr Pro Arg 260 265 270 Leu Phe Thr Glu Val Glu Ala Leu Tyr Gly Ser Asn Met Thr Asp Val 275 280 285 Trp Ser Gly Gly Ile Val Tyr Met Tyr Pro Glu Glu Thr Asn Lys Tyr 290 295 300 Gly Leu Val Ser Ile Asp Gly Asn Asp Val Lys Thr Leu Asp Asp Phe 305 310 315 320 Asn Asn Tyr Ser Ser Glu Ile Asn Lys Ile Ser Pro Thr Ser Ala Asn 325 330 335 Thr Lys Ser Tyr Ser Ala Thr Thr Ser Asp Val Ala Cys Pro Ala Thr 340 345 350 Gly Lys Tyr Trp Ser Ala Ala Thr Glu Leu Pro Pro Thr Pro Asn Gly 355 360 365 Gly Leu Cys Ser Cys Met Asn Ala Ala Asn Ser Cys Val Val Ser Asp 370 375 380 Asp Val Asp Ser Asp Asp Tyr Glu Thr Leu Phe Asn Trp Ile Cys Asn 385 390 395 400 Glu Tyr Asp Cys Ser Gly Ile Ser Ala Asn Gly Thr Ala Gly Lys Tyr 405 410 415 Gly Ala Tyr Ser Phe Cys Thr Pro Lys Glu Gln Leu Ser Phe Val Met 420 425 430 Asn Leu Tyr Tyr Glu Lys Ser Gly Gly Ser Lys Ser Asp Cys Ser Phe 435 440 445 Ser Gly Ser Ala Thr Leu Gln Thr Ala Thr Thr Gln Ala Ser Cys Ser 450 455 460 Ser Ala Leu Lys Glu Ile Gly Ser Met Gly Thr Asn Ser Ala Ser Gly 465 470 475 480 Ser Val Asp Leu Gly Ser Gly Thr Glu Ser Ser Thr Ala Ser Ser Asn 485 490 495 Ala Ser Gly Ser Ser Ser Lys Ser Asn Ser Gly Ser Ser Gly Ser Ser 500 505 510 Ser Ser Ser Ser Ser Ser Ser Lys Lys Asn Ala Ala Thr Asn Val Lys 515 520 525 Ala Asn Leu Ala Gln Val Val Phe Thr Ser Ile Ile Ser Leu Phe Ile 530 535 540 Ala Ala Gly Val Gly Phe Ala Leu Val 545 550 14 550 PRT Candida albicans 14 Met Tyr Ser Leu Ile Lys Ser Leu Ala Thr Phe Ala Thr Phe Ala Thr 1 5 10 15 Leu Phe Ser Leu Thr Leu Ala Lys Phe Glu Ser Ser Thr Pro Pro Val 20 25 30 Glu Val Val Gly Asn Lys Phe Tyr Phe Ser Asn Asn Gly Ser Gln Phe 35 40 45 Leu Ile Arg Gly Ile Ala Tyr Gln Gln Asp Ala Ala Gly Ser Val Ser 50 55 60 Ser Gly Tyr Asp Ala Asp Pro Asn Arg Lys Tyr Asn Asp Pro Leu Ala 65 70 75 80 Asp Arg Asp Ala Cys Lys Arg Asp Val Lys Tyr Phe Lys Glu Ser Asn 85 90 95 Thr Asn Thr Leu Arg Val Tyr Ala Ile Asp Pro Asp Lys Asp His Glu 100 105 110 Glu Cys Met Lys Ile Phe Ser Asp Ala Gly Ile Tyr Ile Val Ala Asp 115 120 125 Leu Ser Glu Pro Thr Val Ser Ile Asn Arg Asn Asn Pro Glu Trp Asn 130 135 140 Leu Asp Leu Tyr Lys Arg Tyr Thr Lys Val Ile Asp Lys Met Gln Glu 145 150 155 160 Tyr Ser Asn Val Leu Gly Phe Phe Ala Gly Asn Glu Val Thr Asn Asn 165 170 175 Arg Ser Asn Thr Asp Ala Ser Ala Phe Val Lys Ala Ala Ile Arg Asp 180 185 190 Met Lys Lys Tyr Ile Lys Glu Ser Asp Tyr Arg Gln Ile Pro Val Gly 195 200 205 Ser Ser Asn Asp Asp Glu Glu Ile Arg Val Ala Ile Ala Asp Tyr Phe 210 215 220 Ser Cys Gly Ser Leu Asp Asp Arg Ala Asp Phe Phe Gly Ile Asn Met 225 230 235 240 Tyr Glu Trp Cys Gly Lys Ser Thr Phe Glu Thr Ser Gly Tyr Lys Asp 245 250 255 Arg Thr Glu Glu Ile Lys Asn Leu Thr Ile Pro Ala Phe Phe Ser Glu 260 265 270 Tyr Gly Cys Asn Ala Asn Arg Pro Arg Leu Phe Gln Glu Thr Gly Thr 275 280 285 Leu Tyr Ser Asp Lys Met Thr Asp Val Trp Ser Gly Gly Ile Val Tyr 290 295 300 Met Tyr Phe Glu Glu Ala Asn Lys Tyr Gly Leu Val Leu Val Asp Gly 305 310 315 320 Asn Ser Val Lys Thr Leu Ser Asp Tyr Asn Asn Tyr Lys Ser Glu Met 325 330 335 Asn Lys Ile Ser Pro Ser Leu Ala His Thr Ser Thr Leu Ser Ser Ser 340 345 350 Asp Ala Ser Lys Thr Leu Gln Cys Pro Gly Thr Ala Ala Ser Thr Trp 355 360 365 Lys Ala Ala Thr Asn Leu Pro Pro Thr Pro Asp Glu Ser Tyr Cys Asp 370 375 380 Cys Ile Ser Lys Ser Leu Glu Cys Val Val Ala Asp Asp Val Asp Lys 385 390 395 400 Glu Asp Tyr Gly Asp Leu Phe Gly Gln Val Cys Gly Tyr Ile Asp Cys 405 410 415 Ser Ala Ile Ser Ala Asp Gly Ser Lys Gly Glu Tyr Gly Val Ala Ser 420 425 430 Phe Cys Ser Asp Lys Asp Arg Leu Ser Tyr Val Leu Asn Gln Tyr Tyr 435 440 445 Leu Asp Gln Asp Lys Lys Ser Ser Ala Cys Asp Phe Lys Gly Ser Ala 450 455 460 Ser Ile Asn Ser Lys Ala Ser Ala Ser Gly Ser Cys Lys Ala Val Ser 465 470 475 480 Gly Val Ala Thr Gly Lys Ala Ser Ser Ser Gly Gly Ser Ser Lys Ser 485 490 495 Gly Ser Ser Ser Ala Ser Ala Ser Gly Ser Ser Ser Ser Ser Thr Ser 500 505 510 Ser Gly Ser Ser Ser Ser Ser Gly Val Lys Ala Thr Gln Gln Met Ser 515 520 525 Met Val Lys Leu Val Ser Ile Ile Thr Ile Val Thr Ala Phe Val Gly 530 535 540 Gly Met Ser Val Val Phe 545 550 15 524 PRT Saccharomyces cerevisiae 15 Met Gln Leu Ser Lys Ser Ile Leu Leu Ala Ala Leu Ala Ala Thr Pro 1 5 10 15 Ser Leu Val Asn Ala Met Leu Pro Ile His Ile Lys Asn Tyr Arg Phe 20 25 30 Ile Lys Pro Ser Ser Ala Thr Asn Ser Glu Ser Asp Asn Glu Val Phe 35 40 45 Phe Val Lys Gly Val Asp Tyr Gln Pro Gly Gly Ser Ser Gly Tyr Asp 50 55 60 Ala Asp Ser Asp Thr Asp Ile Leu Ser Asp Pro Glu Val Cys Ala Arg 65 70 75 80 Asp Ala Tyr Ala Phe Gln Gln Leu Gly Val Asn Thr Val Arg Ile Tyr 85 90 95 Ser Leu Asn Pro Asp Leu Asn His Asp Lys Cys Met Thr Ile Phe Asn 100 105 110 Asn Ala Gly Ile Tyr Ala Ile Leu Asp Val Asn Ser Gly Asn Tyr Gly 115 120 125 Glu Ser Leu Asn Arg Ala Asp Pro Ser Gly Thr Tyr Asp Ser Leu Tyr 130 135 140 Leu Ser Arg Val Phe Lys Phe Ile Asp Ala Phe Lys Asn Tyr Pro Asn 145 150 155 160 Val Leu Gly Phe Phe Ser Gly Asn Glu Val Ile Asn Asp Gln Ser Asp 165 170 175 Tyr Ala Lys Ile Asp Pro Pro Tyr Ile Arg Ala Val Gln Arg Asp Met 180 185 190 Lys Gln Tyr Ile Ser Lys His Ala Asn Arg Ser Ile Pro Val Gly Tyr 195 200 205 Ser Ala Ala Asp Asn Thr Asp Leu Arg Leu Ala Thr Phe Lys Tyr Leu 210 215 220 Gln Cys Asn Ser Leu Asp Gly Asn Lys Val Asn Asp Asp Leu Asp Ile 225 230 235 240 Ser Lys Ser Asp Phe Phe Gly Leu Asn Thr Tyr Glu Trp Cys Ser Gly 245 250 255 Thr Ser Ser Trp Glu Ser Ser Gly Tyr Asp Lys Leu Asn Ser Thr Phe 260 265 270 Glu Asp Ala Val Ile Pro Leu Ile Phe Ser Glu Tyr Gly Cys Asn Lys 275 280 285 Asn Thr Pro Arg Thr Phe Asp Glu Val Ser Glu Gly Leu Tyr Gly Gly 290 295 300 Leu Lys Asn Val Phe Ser Gly Gly Leu Val Tyr Glu Tyr Thr Glu Glu 305 310 315 320 Ala Asn Asn Tyr Gly Leu Val Lys Leu Asp Asp Ser Gly Ser Leu Thr 325 330 335 Tyr Lys Asp Asp Phe Val Asn Leu Glu Ser Gln Leu Lys Asn Val Ser 340 345 350 Leu Pro Thr Thr Lys Glu Ser Glu Ile Ser Ser Asp Ser Ile Tyr Lys 355 360 365 Cys Asp Asn Ser Ala Ile Thr Asn Ile Tyr Ser Gly Phe Gly Thr Asn 370 375 380 Asn Phe Thr Leu Pro Ser Gln Pro Ala Glu Ile Ala Asn Met Ile Glu 385 390 395 400 Tyr Gly Val Asn Gly Thr Asn Thr Gly Lys Ile Leu Thr Asp Tyr Ala 405 410 415 Val Pro Thr Thr Phe Asn Tyr Thr Ile Lys Asn Asn Lys Asp Asp Thr 420 425 430 Ile Ser Ala Thr Ile Ser Tyr Asp Lys Ala Asn Ser Leu Asn Glu Leu 435 440 445 Asp Val Thr Ala Thr Thr Val Ala Lys Ser Ala Ser Thr Ser Gln Ser 450 455 460 Ser Ser Arg Ser Leu Thr Ser Ser Thr Ser Pro Ser Ser Ser Thr Gly 465 470 475 480 Ser Ser Ser Ser Thr Gly Ser Ser Ser Ala Ser Ser Ser Ser Lys Ser 485 490 495 Lys Gly Val Gly Asn Ile Val Asn Val Ser Phe Ser Gln Ser Gly Tyr 500 505 510 Leu Ala Leu Phe Ala Gly Leu Ile Ser Ala Leu Leu 515 520 16 471 PRT Saccharomyces cerevisiae 16 Met Met Val Phe Ser Ser Thr Phe Ile Phe Leu Ile Leu Glu Leu Val 1 5 10 15 Val Leu Cys Glu Ala Ser Val His Thr Ile Gln Ile Lys Asp Lys His 20 25 30 Phe Val Asp Thr Val Thr Gly Lys Pro Phe Phe Ile Lys Gly Val Asp 35 40 45 Tyr Gln Pro Gly Gly Ser Ser Asp Val Ser Glu Lys Gln Asp Pro Leu 50 55 60 Ser Asn Pro Asp Ala Cys Ala Arg Asp Ile Leu Leu Phe Gln Glu Leu 65 70 75 80 Gly Ile Asn Thr Val Arg Ile Tyr Ser Ile Asn Pro Asp Leu Asn His 85 90 95 Asp Ala Cys Met Thr Met Leu Ala Met Ala Gly Ile Tyr Leu Ile Leu 100 105 110 Asp Val Asn Ser Pro Leu Gln Asn Gln His Leu Asn Arg Tyr Glu Pro 115 120 125 Trp Thr Thr Tyr Asn Glu Val Tyr Leu Glu His Val Phe Lys Val Val 130 135 140 Glu Gln Phe Ser His Tyr Asn Asn Thr Leu Gly Phe Phe Ala Gly Asn 145 150 155 160 Glu Ile Val Asn Asp Lys Arg Ser Ala Gln Tyr Ser Pro Ala Tyr Val 165 170 175 Lys Glu Leu Ile Gly Thr Met Lys Asn Tyr Ile Ser Ala His Ser Pro 180 185 190 Arg Thr Ile Pro Val Gly Tyr Ser Ala Ala Asp Asp Leu Asn Tyr Arg 195 200 205 Val Ser Leu Ser Glu Tyr Leu Glu Cys Lys Asp Asp Asp Lys Pro Glu 210 215 220 Asn Ser Val Asp Phe Tyr Gly Val Asn Ser Tyr Gln Trp Cys Gly Gln 225 230 235 240 Gln Thr Met Gln Thr Ser Gly Tyr Asp Thr Leu Val Asp Ala Tyr Arg 245 250 255 Ser Tyr Ser Lys Pro Val Phe Phe Ser Glu Phe Gly Cys Asn Lys Val 260 265 270 Leu Pro Arg Gln Phe Gln Glu Ile Gly Tyr Leu Phe Ser Glu Glu Met 275 280 285 Tyr Ser Val Phe Cys Gly Gly Leu Val Tyr Glu Phe Ser Gln Glu Asp 290 295 300 Asn Asn Tyr Gly Leu Val Glu Tyr Gln Glu Asp Asp Ser Val Gln Leu 305 310 315 320 Leu Ala Asp Phe Glu Lys Leu Lys Ser His Tyr Gln Asn Ile Glu Phe 325 330 335 Pro Ser Met Lys Thr Leu Lys Glu Thr Val Gln Met Glu Glu Thr Pro 340 345 350 Ser Cys Ala Glu Asp Tyr Glu Asn Leu Lys Ile Glu Ser Lys Ile Ala 355 360 365 Lys Asn Leu Gly Ser Ser Leu Ile Lys Lys Gly Val Lys Val Glu Lys 370 375 380 Gly Lys Tyr Ile Asp Ile His Glu Asp Gln Leu Ser Thr Asn Val Thr 385 390 395 400 Ile Leu Asp Lys His Gly Asp Arg Trp Asn Gly Pro Lys Lys Ile Glu 405 410 415 Ile Arg Gln Ser Leu Thr Leu Ala Asp Leu Glu Gly Glu Glu Gln Glu 420 425 430 Asp Ala Asp Glu Asp Lys Asp Asp Leu Lys Arg Lys His Arg Asn Ser 435 440 445 Ala Ser Ile Ser Gly Pro Leu Leu Pro Leu Gly Leu Cys Leu Leu Phe 450 455 460 Phe Thr Phe Ser Leu Phe Phe 465 470 17 484 PRT Saccharomyces cerevisiae 17 Met Leu Leu Arg Ser Leu Thr Ser Ala Phe Val Leu Ser Ala Gly Leu 1 5 10 15 Ala Gln Ala Ala Ser Ser Ser Asn Ser Ser Thr Pro Ser Ile Glu Ile 20 25 30 Lys Gly Asn Ala Phe Phe Asn Ser Glu Ser Gly Glu Arg Phe Tyr Ile 35 40 45 Arg Gly Val Asp Tyr Gln Pro Gly Gly Ser Ser Asn Leu Thr Asp Pro 50 55 60 Leu Ala Asp Ala Ser Val Cys Asp Arg Asp Val Pro Val Leu Lys Asp 65 70 75 80 Leu Gly Ile Asn Thr Val Arg Val Tyr Thr Val Asp Asn Ser Gln Asp 85 90 95 His Ser His Cys Met Lys Leu Leu Gln Glu Asn Gly Ile Tyr Leu Ile 100 105 110 Leu Asp Val Asn Thr Pro Thr Ser Ala Ile Ser Arg Tyr Asp Pro Ala 115 120 125 Cys Ser Tyr Asn Ala Asp Tyr Leu Gln Asn Val Phe Ala Thr Ile Asp 130 135 140 Thr Phe Ala Asp Tyr Asp Asn Val Leu Gly Phe Phe Ala Gly Asn Glu 145 150 155 160 Val Ile Asn Ser Val Asn Thr Thr Asn Thr Ala Thr Tyr Val Lys Ala 165 170 175 Val Val Arg Asp Met Lys Lys Tyr Ile Lys Ala Arg Lys Tyr Arg Gln 180 185 190 Ile Pro Val Gly Tyr Ser Ala Ala Asp Ile Val Ala Asn Arg Gln Leu 195 200 205 Ala Ala Glu Tyr Phe Asn Cys Gly Asp Glu Ala Asp Ala Arg Ile Asp 210 215 220 Met Phe Gly Val Asn Asp Tyr Ser Trp Cys Gly Glu Ser Ser Phe Val 225 230 235 240 Val Ser Gly Tyr Ser Thr Lys Met Lys Leu Tyr Gln Asp Tyr Ser Val 245 250 255 Pro Val Phe Leu Ser Glu Phe Gly Cys Asn Gln Val Lys Ser Ser Arg 260 265 270 Pro Phe Thr Glu Ile Glu Ala Ile Tyr Ser Thr Gln Met Ser Ser Val 275 280 285 Phe Ser Gly Gly Leu Val Tyr Glu Tyr Ser Asn Glu Thr Asn Asn Tyr 290 295 300 Gly Leu Val Gln Ile Asp Gly Asp Lys Val Thr Lys Leu Thr Asp Phe 305 310 315 320 Glu Asn Leu Lys Asn Glu Tyr Ser Lys Val Ser Asn Pro Glu Gly Asn 325 330 335 Gly Gly Tyr Ser Thr Ser Asn Asn Tyr Ser Thr Cys Pro Asp Tyr Glu 340 345 350 Lys Gly Val Trp Glu Ala Asn Asn Thr Leu Pro Ala Met Pro Ser Ala 355 360 365 Ala Ser Ala Tyr Phe Thr Ser Gly Ala Gly Ser Pro Met Gly Thr Gly 370 375 380 Ile Ala Thr Gln Gln Ser Cys Asp Ala Lys Asp Asp Asp Asp Glu Glu 385 390 395 400 Asp Asp Asp Thr Ser Ser Ser Ser Ser Ser Ser Ser Ser Ser Ser Ser 405 410 415 Ser Ala Ser Ser Ser Ser Glu Ser Ser Ser Ser Thr Ser Lys Ala Ser 420 425 430 Ser Ser Ser Pro Ser Ala Ser Glu Thr Ser Leu Leu Lys Ser Ala Ala 435 440 445 Ser Ala Thr Ser Ser Ser Gln Ser Ser Ser Lys Ser Lys Gly Ala Ala 450 455 460 Gly Ile Ile Glu Ile Pro Leu Ile Phe Arg Ala Leu Ala Glu Leu Tyr 465 470 475 480 Asn Leu Val Leu 18 555 PRT Saccharomyces cerevisiae 18 Met Asn Lys Lys Gln Asn Phe Tyr Ala Ala Ile Ile Val Ala Ile Phe 1 5 10 15 Leu Cys Leu Gln Leu Ser His Gly Ser Ser Gly Val Ser Phe Glu Lys 20 25 30 Thr Pro Ala Ile Lys Ile Val Gly Asn Lys Phe Phe Asp Ser Glu Ser 35 40 45 Gly Glu Gln Phe Phe Ile Lys Gly Ile Ala Tyr Gln Leu Gln Arg Ser 50 55 60 Glu Glu Glu Leu Ser Asn Ala Asn Gly Ala Phe Glu Thr Ser Tyr Ile 65 70 75 80 Asp Ala Leu Ala Asp Pro Lys Ile Cys Leu Arg Asp Ile Pro Phe Leu 85 90 95 Lys Met Leu Gly Val Asn Thr Leu Arg Val Tyr Ala Ile Asp Pro Thr 100 105 110 Lys Ser His Asp Ile Cys Met Glu Ala Leu Ser Ala Glu Gly Met Tyr 115 120 125 Val Leu Leu Asp Leu Ser Glu Pro Asp Ile Ser Ile Asn Arg Glu Asn 130 135 140 Pro Ser Trp Asp Val His Ile Phe Glu Arg Tyr Lys Ser Val Ile Asp 145 150 155 160 Ala Met Ser Ser Phe Pro Asn Leu Leu Gly Tyr Phe Ala Gly Asn Glu 165 170 175 Val Thr Asn Asp His Thr Asn Thr Phe Ala Ser Pro Phe Val Lys Ala 180 185 190 Ala Ile Arg Asp Ala Lys Glu Tyr Ile Ser His Ser Asn His Arg Lys 195 200 205 Ile Pro Val Gly Tyr Ser Thr Asn Asp Asp Ala Met Thr Arg Asp Asn 210 215 220 Leu Ala Arg Tyr Phe Val Cys Gly Asp Val Lys Ala Asp Phe Tyr Gly 225 230 235 240 Ile Asn Met Tyr Glu Trp Cys Gly Tyr Ser Thr Tyr Gly Thr Ser Gly 245 250 255 Tyr Arg Glu Arg Thr Lys Glu Phe Glu Gly Tyr Pro Ile Pro Val Phe 260 265 270 Phe Ser Glu Phe Gly Cys Asn Leu Val Arg Pro Arg Pro Phe Thr Glu 275 280 285 Val Ser Ala Leu Tyr Gly Asn Lys Met Ser Ser Val Trp Ser Gly Gly 290 295 300 Leu Ala Tyr Met Tyr Phe Glu Glu Glu Asn Glu Tyr Gly Val Val Lys 305 310 315 320 Ile Asn Asp Asn Asp Gly Val Asp Ile Leu Pro Asp Phe Lys Asn Leu 325 330 335 Lys Lys Glu Phe Ala Lys Ala Asp Pro Lys Gly Ile Thr Glu Glu Glu 340 345 350 Tyr Leu Thr Ala Lys Glu Pro Thr Glu Val Glu Ser Val Glu Cys Pro 355 360 365 His Ile Ala Val Gly Val Trp Glu Ala Asn Glu Lys Leu Pro Glu Thr 370 375 380 Pro Asp Arg Ser Lys Cys Ala Cys Leu Asp Glu Ile Leu Pro Cys Glu 385 390 395 400 Ile Val Pro Phe Gly Ala Glu Ser Gly Lys Tyr Glu Glu Tyr Phe Ser 405 410 415 Tyr Leu Cys Ser Lys Val Asp Cys Ser Asp Ile Leu Ala Asn Gly Lys 420 425 430 Thr Gly Glu Tyr Gly Glu Phe Ser Asp Cys Ser Val Glu Gln Lys Leu 435 440 445 Ser Leu Gln Leu Ser Lys Leu Tyr Cys Lys Ile Gly Ala Asn Asp Arg 450 455 460 His Cys Pro Leu Asn Asp Lys Asn Val Tyr Phe Asn Leu Glu Ser Leu 465 470 475 480 Gln Pro Leu Thr Ser Glu Ser Ile Cys Lys Asn Val Phe Asp Ser Ile 485 490 495 Arg Asn Ile Thr Tyr Asn His Gly Asp Tyr Ser Lys Ser Asn Pro Ser 500 505 510 Arg Ser Lys Glu Ser Leu Asn Val Lys Tyr Pro Ser Ser Glu Glu Arg 515 520 525 Glu Asn Asp Gly Thr Ile Ala Phe Lys Thr Ser Gly Phe Val Ile Leu 530 535 540 Leu Ile Ser Met Ile Ala Ala Gly Ile Leu Leu 545 550 555 19 552 PRT Candida albicans 19 Met Tyr Ser Leu Ile Lys Ser Leu Ala Thr Phe Ala Thr Phe Ala Thr 1 5 10 15 Leu Phe Ser Leu Thr Leu Ala Lys Phe Glu Ser Ser Thr Pro Pro Val 20 25 30 Glu Val Val Gly Asn Lys Phe Tyr Phe Ser Asn Asn Gly Ser Gln Phe 35 40 45 Leu Ile Arg Gly Ile Ala Tyr Gln Gln Asp Ala Ala Gly Ser Val Ser 50 55 60 Ser Gly Tyr Asp Ala Asp Pro Asn Arg Lys Tyr Asn Asp Pro Leu Ala 65 70 75 80 Asp Arg Asp Ala Cys Lys Arg Asp Val Lys Tyr Phe Lys Glu Ser Asn 85 90 95 Thr Asn Thr Leu Arg Val Tyr Ala Ile Asp Pro Asp Lys Asp His Glu 100 105 110 Glu Cys Met Lys Ile Phe Ser Asp Ala Gly Ile Tyr Ile Val Ala Asp 115 120 125 Leu Ser Glu Pro Thr Val Ser Ile Asn Arg Asn Asn Pro Glu Trp Asn 130 135 140 Leu Asp Leu Tyr Lys Arg Tyr Thr Lys Val Ile Asp Lys Met Gln Glu 145 150 155 160 Tyr Ser Asn Val Leu Gly Phe Phe Ala Gly Asn Glu Val Thr Asn Asn 165 170 175 Arg Ser Asn Thr Asp Ala Ser Ala Phe Val Lys Ala Ala Ile Arg Asp 180 185 190 Met Lys Lys Tyr Ile Lys Glu Ser Asp Tyr Arg Gln Ile Pro Val Gly 195 200 205 Tyr Ser Ser Asn Asp Asp Glu Glu Ile Arg Val Ala Ile Ala Asp Tyr 210 215 220 Phe Ser Cys Gly Ser Leu Asp Asp Arg Ala Asp Gly Phe Phe Gly Ile 225 230 235 240 Asn Met Tyr Glu Trp Cys Gly Lys Ser Thr Phe Glu Thr Ser Gly Tyr 245 250 255 Lys Asp Arg Thr Glu Glu Ile Lys Asn Leu Thr Ile Pro Ala Phe Phe 260 265 270 Ser Glu Tyr Gly Cys Asn Ala Asn Arg Pro Arg Leu Phe Gln Glu Ile 275 280 285 Gly Thr Leu Tyr Ser Asp Lys Met Thr Asp Val Trp Ser Gly Gly Ile 290 295 300 Val Tyr Met Tyr Phe Glu Glu Ala Asn Lys Tyr Gly Leu Val Leu Val 305 310 315 320 Asp Gly Asn Ser Val Lys Thr Leu Ser Asp Tyr Asn Asn Tyr Lys Ser 325 330 335 Glu Met Asn Lys Ile Ser Pro Ser Leu Ala His Thr Ser Thr Leu Ser 340 345 350 Ser Ser Asp Ala Ser Lys Thr Leu Gln Cys Pro Gly Thr Ala Ala Ser 355 360 365 Thr Trp Lys Ala Ala Thr Asn Leu Pro Pro Thr Pro Asp Glu Ser Tyr 370 375 380 Cys Asp Cys Ile Ser Lys Ser Leu Glu Cys Val Val Ala Asp Asp Val 385 390 395 400 Asp Lys Glu Asp Tyr Gly Asp Leu Phe Gly Gln Val Cys Gly Tyr Ile 405 410 415 Asp Cys Ser Ala Ile Ser Ala Asp Gly Ser Lys Gly Glu Tyr Gly Val 420 425 430 Ala Ser Phe Cys Ser Asp Lys Asp Arg Leu Ser Tyr Val Leu Asn Gln 435 440 445 Tyr Tyr Leu Asp Gln Asp Lys Lys Ser Ser Ala Cys Asp Phe Lys Gly 450 455 460 Ser Ala Ser Ile Asn Ser Lys Ala Ser Ala Ser Gly Ser Cys Lys Ala 465 470 475 480 Val Ser Gly Val Ala Thr Gly Lys Ala Ser Ser Ser Gly Gly Ser Ser 485 490 495 Lys Ser Gly Ser Ser Ser Ala Ser Ala Ser Gly Ser Ser Ser Ser Ser 500 505 510 Thr Ser Ser Gly Ser Ser Ser Ser Ser Gly Val Lys Ala Thr Gln Gln 515 520 525 Met Ser Met Val Lys Leu Val Ser Ile Ile Thr Ile Val Thr Ala Phe 530 535 540 Val Gly Gly Met Ser Val Val Phe 545 550 20 20 PRT Aspergillus fumigatus 20 Asp Val Thr Pro Ile Thr Val Lys Gly Asn Ala Phe Phe Lys Gly 1 5 10 15 Asp Glu Arg Phe Tyr 20 21 13 PRT Aspergillus fumigatus 21 Asp Ala Pro Asn Trp Asp Val Asp Asn Asp Ala Leu Pro 1 5 10 

What is claimed is:
 1. An isolated protein having β-(1-3)-glycanosyltransferase type activity, wherein the protein has at least 50% homology with a protein comprising SEQ ID NO:3.
 2. The protein according to claim 1, wherein the protein comprises at least one site for N-linked glycosylation.
 3. The protein according to claim 1, wherein the protein exhibits a molecular weight of 49 kD.
 4. The protein according to claim 1, wherein the protein is attached to a plasma membrane by a glycosylphosphatidylinositol radical.
 5. The protein according to claim 1, wherein said protein has at least 60% homology with a protein comprising SEQ ID NO:3.
 6. The protein according to claim 5, wherein said protein has at least 85% homology with a protein comprising SEQ ID NO:3.
 7. The protein according to claim 1, wherein the protein exhibits a molecular weight of 44 kD.
 8. A polypeptide fragment having β-(1-3)-glycanosyltransferase type activity of the protein according to any one of claims 1-4. 